After McNabb, Are the Redskins Looking For The Next Tim Tebow?

A discussion thread on the DC Pro Sports Report forum notes that Donovan McNabb wants to stay a Redskin. The comments are decidedly ho-hum on that prospect. The underlying sense is that McNabb is in denial of his situation and that he is already dead meat in Washington.

We are all on a learning curve for Mike Shanahan’s and Bruce Allen’s methods. They are still working that out, I betcha’. McNabb’s departure is no more certain than was Jim Zorn’s was the moment Sherm Lewis was hired. We just have to let it play out.

I do not know how the McNabb-Shanahan marriage fell apart. Most likely, it cannot be fixed. But, winning in Washington is Dono’s best option. Where else could he go, anyway? The Redskins get some use out of those draft picks, if they keep him, and maybe they do not go for the big reach (my biggest fear) of drafting a quarterback now. Offensive linemen, well-selected wide receivers, and linebackers with coverage skills suitable for the 3-4 are all bigger needs.

I know I’m dreaming. Washington will go for the next Tim Tebow because that’s how they roll. That would be a shame.

If the season ended today, Washington would have between the sixth through tenth pick of the 2011 NFL Draft first round. NFL Draft Scout projects Washington Huskies senior quarterback Jake Locker as the eighth overall draft prospect. Locker will not slip past Carolina, Arizona or Cincinnati who have a serious need at quarterback. Denver may also be quarterback hunting, depending on whom they name as head coach.

But NFL Draft Scout does not yet list underclassmen expected to declare for the Draft, like Stanford’s junior quarterback Andrew Luck, or Auburn’s junior quarterback Cameron Newton. Newton and Luck would sop up early demand for a quarterback, leaving Locker for the Redskins or the 49ers.

If Luck, Locker or Newton are taken before Washington gets a shot at them, and if Philadelphia’s Michael Vick doesn’t reach the open market, the ‘Skins could deal that first round pick to Denver for Tebow.

That’s how they roll.

Points after: Tim Tebow in Washington wouldn’t be a bad thing for Redskins bloggers. Tebow is a hit magnet. The Redskins haven’t given us bloggers a decent hit magnet since they cut Colt Brennan. That’s why the name “Tim Tebow” appears several times in this post. And yes, I used Tim Tebow and Colt Brennan in the same sentence.

I want to announce my skepticism about Cam Newton right now. It’s nothing personal. But Newton is a one-year starter at Auburn. One-year wonders, all of them, are inherently risky picks for the NFL. (See Thomas, Devin)  Mark Sanchez was a one-year wonder, you say. Ah, but Sanchez went to a team with all the pieces in place. The New York Jets had a powerful defense, strong rushing backs and decent receives when Sanchez arrived. At best, Sanchez did not hurt the team last season.

That’s not the case in Washington. Even now, quarterback play is not the highest priority of the team. We will say of a rookie what’s been said of Redskins quarterbacks since Patrick Ramsey; nobody could play behind that line. Selling out to draft a first round quarterback is a Redskins move I’m prepared to dislike. Especially if they draft a one-year wonder.

But that’s how they roll.