Why the Bills shouldn't pursue Donovan McNabb... yet

Is there anyone who thinks the Bills should trade for McNabb if it appears he is unwilling to sign here past this year?

You should get almost 100% agreement on that, I would think.

I was hoping you’d tell us why it’s a bad decision to acquire McNabb even if he resigned with the Bills past this year. Now that opinion I would be interested in!

Definitely agree. I’m not a McNabb hater but he is getting older, would have to learn a new system, and command a hefty salary as well as cost draft position or picks. No thanks. The pressure should be on Philly anyway holding onto 3 QBs will eat away at their cap like nobodies business so they will make a move either way just not nec. to Buffalo.

While I agree with Brian that McNabb is not going to lead anyone to a playoff in Buffalo this year, DiCeasre’s article in the Buffalo News outlines the best reason to get a Vet QB such as McNabb: To bridge over the next few years.

The fact of the matter is, no one knows how good any of the QBs in the draft class are-we have the same guesses about it as we have every year. It could be Marino and Kelly and Elway…or it could be Couch and Leaf and Ware. You don’t know.

What you do know is that the Buffalo Bills have a hell of a lot more holes on this team than QB. What you do know is that Buffalo has absolutely no leadership/identity on offense. What you do know is that unlike a litany of Bills QBs, Donnavan F. McNabb has playoff experiences, can throw the ball and is willing to play on a broken ankle.

If Buffalo could sign a guy like McNabb it brings in veteran leadership at a key position. You would also assume that if he’s coming in, he’s been signed for a few years-that gives you a window at QB to find and groom. That gives you the freedom to sign an OT/NT in the first round (no one is giving up their 1st this year for him, I guarantee) this year rather than gamble on a QB that is only highly rated b/c there are no other highly rated QBs. In essence you buy credibility by signing McNabb, and you buy yourself the first thing that doesn’t reek of “loser” on this team in a while (Brian Moorman and a few scant others not withstanding).

Of course, the real problem is that he won’t want to come to Buffalo-there are better options for him (particularly St. Louis with friends, an indoors and a fairly weak division). But this isn’t the question. The question is not “will Buffalo sign McNabb” or “does McNabb want to come here” but “should Buffalo pursue McNabb?”

From the Bills perspective there is a great deal to be made here at the right value, and I would be sorely disappointed if Buffalo didn’t at least puruse it.

They will trade their #30 for McNabb.

They currently have fallen victim to the Brett-a-donna saga and are in limbo. Even if Brett decides to come back in 2010 it’s almost guaranteed he won’t be there in 2011.

We certainly cannot ignore the Chilli / McNabb connection here. The Vikings are really close and McNabb would be just as good as Favre to put them over the top. McNabb knows the system and he wants to have a chance at a ring. Donovan would jump at the opportunity and would extend his contract in a heartbeat. The Vikes could not only get there but stay there for a few good years. I will be surprised if McNabb goes anywhere else.

Nice caption BTW. They are great additions to the site.

The crippling contract that extending a QB on the wrong side of the hill (with an extensive injury history) in itself is enough to make me want no parts of this. Now, I admit, McNabb is one of my least favorite prominent athletes of the last decade; I simply despise his personality. But that’s not the reason to stay away from him. Adding the contract that McNabb would cost is simply not worth it for a team that is trying to rebuild from the ground up. If Bledsoe was a misguided addition in retrospect, McNabb would be 10 times worse. Stop looking for temporary solutions to a chronic problem and get a young, talented QB, OBD. McNabb, his contract, and his emotional baggage (violins in the background) are simply not worth the time and effort.

Does anyone think OBD should swap a 2nd round pick for a one year McNabb deal? Maybe Philly, but nobody else outside of the psych ward.

What in the world would happen if McNabb came here and Trent Edwards didn’t want to give up his jersey number?!

Bledsoe was supposed to bring veteran readership but all the team was doing was hiding the cracks.

The issue with McNabb comes down to personality – is he the sort of guy who would genuinely provide leadership? or will he more likely throw his team mates under the bus if he doesn’t get his own way.

And his injuries are a problem. If he couldn’t remain healthy with Tra Thomas defending his blindside what hope does he have with Demetrius Bell or a rookie there?

By trading for McNabb, all we are doing is putting a bandaid on a fractured leg. What we need to do in not just this draft but in 2011 and in 2012 is build a roster from the ground up not just panic into quick solutions.

Good read sir. Gonna be interesting to see how this Mcnabb saga plays out.

If we want a 34 year old band-aid, I don’t want to be giving up 2nd or 3rd round picks and potentially $12M per season for a few years if he actually decides to extend here. I don’t think McNabb would be adding more than a handful of wins a year, leaving us still a fringe playoff contender at best. If we were further along in the re-build, it would make more sense to chase a vet QB like this, but we simply aren’t.

I’m probably one of the few, but I don’t believe in McNabb either. He sure seems to pack it in in most pressure situations, and has way too many bad games for a supposed elite QB.

Do we really have the luxury of “grooming” a rookie QB? Like it or not, I don’t think we do. It’s not realistic to think we can solidify are offensive line, get a franchise QB and secure a vet QB to groom said rookie. We gotta take chances and hope O/L stays healthy, pass on Mcnabb, maybe get QB in draft and he’d play behind whomever ends up starting this year, maybe even taking over at some point. Everyone extolls the need for a QB but is leary of subjecting him to our O/L. I say if he’s good he’ll be fine, if he breaks oh well wouldn’t be first time! Hell were due a little luck!!

I say that we don’t trade for anyone. If we suck next year, then we suck next year, big deal. Lets do things right! Renting a QB for one year is NOT doing things right.

McNabb isnt the answer…..how do you do a complete rebuild with a guy who has as many miles on him as he does?

Thanks but no thanks.

i hope buffalo stays so damn far away from this guy. he should remind everyone of Delhomme,just more polish. he’s NO BIG GAME quarterback. to me,he is what he is,good enough to lust after,but, no lasting love!! lol.he’s tough,he’s got arm strength,but, brain dept,he has always seemed a lot stupid.this guy has all the tools,but, always falls apart in big games.BUFFALO, LOOK AT HIS RECORD,SEE ALL HIS BIG GAMES AND DECIDE ACCORDINGLY.

I’m not advocating for Buffalo to trade or not trade for McNabb. Frankly, I haven’t formed a strong opinion on the potential move just yet. But I do think something very basic is getting overlooked. Even if Buffalo trades for McNabb without giving him a new deal, it’s not necessarily determinative that McNabb would only be a Bill for one year.

Buffalo could keep McNabb for up to three years using the tools of the franchise and transition tag. As it stands now, a team could only use a franchise tag on a player once, but is allowed to use a transition tag on a player in two consecutive years. So by way of example only (there are literally dozens of different ways the Bills could go about doing this), Buffalo could trade for McNabb without giving him a new contract in 2010, use the transition tag on him in 2011 (if there is even football!) and then the franchise tag on him in 2012. By that time McNabb would be 37 years old.

Of course, there are many fluid variables not to be overlooked. Will a new CBA change the rules pertaining to transition and franchise tags? Will there even be football in 2011? Would McNabb refuse to sign the tag? (He may moan about it, but a 35 year old QB wouldn’t have much leverage on an organization that tags him – sign or retire would likely be his only options.) If Buffalo used a transition tag, would another team sign him to a contract with a poison pill in it? (Unlikely in my opinion and it would still afford Buffalo compensation via draft picks in return).

The point off all of this is not to advocate for Buffalo to trade for McNabb without giving him a contract extension, but to illustrate that the absence of a contract extension doesn’t necessarily mean Buffalo has decided to go the "rent-a-McNabb" route.

A couple of years I was pulling for the Bills to go after McNabb or Farve. That’s when it looked like the O-line was on the verge of being an above average unit. Then Mouse McNally retired and Peter Potamus pulled his hold-out and the cohesiveness of the unit sank faster than the Titanic!!!

The Bills should stay committed to building thru the draft and continue to pick up role players that could contribute as starters. If the Bills build a winner “The Players will come”!

At this stage of McNabb’s career he deserves to go to a contender that he could help get over the hump and not to a team such as Buffalo that is just about in a total rebuilding mode with a below average O-line in front of him…

I like the idea of a 1st rnd swap for Mcnabb,(maybe throw in a 5th next year) IF he signs a two year deal…(at least)

that there is a reason that guys like Charlie Whitehurst & Derek Anderson are getting overpaid deals from some of these teams… add in the fact that a guy who should certainly know something about the QB position (Mike Holmgren) would “find it hard to take” the Rumblings golden boy Jimmy Clausen speaks volumes….. aside from maybe (big maybe) Bradford…. very few NFL talent evaluators (not draftniks or fans) apparently, truly believes that the QB’s in this draft class are the next Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Drew Brees……. McNabb (only with an extension of no more than 3 years) might actually be worth a shot.

I’m not saying we need have a win now mindset about a trade such as swapping #1’s, but quite obviously, OBD did not think highly enough of any of the available “second tier” QB’s as stop gap measures or learning examples for a young rookie. If they are in fact thinking about cutting Fitz and or Edwards & if a QB they like is available in the draft, then a I would certainly rather have a guy like McNabb being the one they hold the clipboard for a few years.

Not to mention, public relations & revenue stream increases are not a bad thing to have on a perennial (10 year) also ran who resides in a small market…… done the correct way, it could be a decent situation.

Holmgren certainly knows QB talent having worked with HOFers Montana & Young and future HOFer Farve. In Green Bay he traded for Farve drafted Hasselback which whom he eventually traded for when he left for Seattle. Now he heads to the Browns cleans house of QB’s an trades for Seneca Wallace—why? He might feel that Wallace could be a starter at least for a year while Clausen sits the bench. Holmgren is a sligh old fox that will not tip his hand on Clausen, Clausen has the traits he looks for—mobile, accurate and tutored in a pro style offense.

McNabb is a clown and we need football players of talent and youth on this team.
Giving up a pick for him for the short term is foolish.

Bills team needs:
Three out of five new starters on the offensive line.
Two new fullbacks to help on special teams and block for our running back studs.
Two young slant wr’s
Three new linemen for the 3/4 defense.
Two more linebackers for the 3/4 defense.
Two new strong safties for the 3/4 defense.

This is a lot of needs and getting the clown name McNabb would hinder us from progress and our needs.
To many needs and to little time.
Wake up Buffalo Bills!