Easter is time for reflection, reflection on many things much more significant and important than your favorite NFL football team.
Historically, much of Western Civilization has taken the time to make it a week of reflection and celebration. There is Palm Sunday, the Passion Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday/Resurrection Day.
Washington NFL football fans were most likely not thinking much about the then-Redskins on the Easter weekend of 2010. The NFL draft was still a couple of weeks away. The major free agency moves had already transpired a month earlier.
Bam! Suddenly news was breaking on that 2010 Easter weekend that Washington had made a huge surprising trade. Not only had they made a trade on Easter weekend, but the trade engineered by owner Daniel Snyder was within the NFC East division.
After 11 NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Donovan McNabb was being traded to Washington! In the trade, Washington received McNabb, a 33-year-old, 11-season veteran.
In return, the Eagles received Washington’s round-two 2010 draft choice. It was the 37th overall selection. In addition, Washington agreed to send a 2011 conditional choice to the Eagles.
Kyle Shanahan called Y leak against Kubiak’s Texans in 2010, Shanahan’s first year with the Redskins. Shanahan was OC for Kubiak the previous season. Donovan McNabb to Fred Davis for 62 yards. pic.twitter.com/YIwWa4BhlA
— Rich (@richjmadrid) August 13, 2020
If Washington were to win 9 games or McNabb make the 2010 season Pro Bowl, the choice would be Washington’s third-rounder. Seeing neither of those conditions were met in 2010, the choice traded to the Eagles in 2011 was a fourth-round choice (104th overall).
McNabb struggled at times in his lone season in Washington, with 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His interception percentage tied the worst season of his career (rookie season). McNabb’s QBR was his career season-low, and his passer rating was the lowest since his second NFL season.
Washington had been had. Andy Reid was finished with McNabb, realizing his best days were behind him, and he found a team within his own division more than willing to take McNabb off of his hands and provide the Eagles a third and fourth-round draft choice.