They almost certainly are, though they did spend a bunch in free agency this year. Still, I’d be surprised if they couldn’t easily fit him under the cap without sacrificing anybody from their roster or anyone they draft.
If I were the Eagles I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’d send Trent Cole and a 5th rounder for Chad and call it a day.
I know that the Eagles are (mysteriously) receiver-starved since before and after TO, but do you think Donovan McNabb wants another version of TO on his team, yammering in his ear all game, pouting like he does?
McNair retired.
I heard he was healthy again and looking good.
I wonder if this changes their plans for the draft.
Bought my first 2008 NFL draft guide today. I’m starting to jones for the NFL Draft.
The thing I find interesting is that I don’t get to watch much college football, so I know next to nothing about a vast majority of these guys coming out. I almost completely rely only on what I read in the guides, newspapers, highlight reels on YouTube, and the “experts”. Yet, despite not generally have first hand knowledge, I enjoy the “fantasy GM” experience of pretending I know what the hell I am doing. I’m developing my list of guys I like, even down to the guys who aren’t going to be drafted. (Jackie Battle and Melvin Bullitt were my guys last year).
But damn I can hardly wait.
Yes?
Chad Johnson is not TO, and while he might have been able to mouth off to a reserved guy like Kitna or a fresh-faced ingenue like Palmer, I doubt he’d try the same thing on McNabb.
After all, I’m sure he remembers what happened to T.O.
“Healthy” is relative- for McNair, healthy just means less injured than usual. He’s got all sorts of pretty-much-permanent knee, hip and elbow issues; like a pro wrestler, he’s been playing with conditions that would usually be called career-ending.
I’m not that surprised- I think you’ll see the same thing with Brian Westbrook one day.
Yup, no more McNair. It was definitely time for him to call it a career, he’s been playing with a fork sticking out of his back for the last 3 years or so. He’ll be missed, he was one of my favorite players for a long time when he was with the Titans. He and Eddie George made up one of the most likable backfields in recent memory. Good Luck big guy.
Insta-poll: does he deserve to get into the Hall of Fame?
Absolutely. His numbers are pretty impressive, a top 30 QB all-time. More importantly, as far as the NFL HOF goes, he’s been a fan favorite and an anchor of the Titans franchise since it’s inception.
If they let Troy Aikman in, they should let McNair in. Of course Aikman had three Super Bowl rings. How many does McNair have again?
McNair, to me, is in that tier of guys who are right on the cusp of the HoF. Guys like Ken Anderson, Randall Cunningham, Steve DeBerg, Boomer Esiason, Roman Gabriel, Rich Gannon, Dave Kreig, Phil Simms, and Ken Stabler. While I think McNair’s ability to run, and his gutsiness, make him certainly in the top of the tier, I’m not convinced he should be in the Hall.
I think he’s alot tougher call than you seem to think.
His numbers do put him on that bubble, but the intangibles put him in easily I think. People love this guy and when it comes to HOF voting that will carry the day. The storylines of him and Favre going into the Hall together are just too good for the NFL to pass up. Incidentally, I think Aikman was a layup.
While I and NFL voter appreciate a story, I’m still having trouble with McNair in the HoF, let alone a first ballot HoF like Favre will be. McNair certainly had a couple very impressive seasons, and one co-MVP, he never won the big enchilada and his career did seriously tail off. While I appreciate his toughness and ability to play while in pain, I can’t say I’d put him in the hall.
With three rings, yes. Put McNair or almost any of the guys I listed as bubble guys on the Cowboys during his time and I think they’d be a layup also.
Incidentally this McNair retirement further ensures that the Ravens will be taking a QB in the first 2 rounds. This is important to me because that makes it that much less likely the Bears will be able to get the QB that they need in the 2nd round, and reports have the Ravens very high on Joe Flacco, the guy I think the Bears need.
That means that the Falcons, Ravens and Chiefs are all definitely expected to draft a QB and have 2 picks to do so before the Bears in the 2nd round. The Dolphins, Jets and Panthers all might be considering it if they are high on one of those guys as well. Things are not looking good for the Bears chances to get anything other than table scraps at the QB position unless there’s a trade up into the second half of the first round. Crap.
By the by, anyone up for a mock NFL draft?
I think you’re right. The Bears may need to trade up if they want to waste a draft pick on Flacco.
Might I suggest the #30 pick. The Pack might be willing to trade down if you make the offer nice enough. 
Note that I didn’t say will he get into the Hall, I said does he deserve to.
Personally, I think the Hall is way too easy on some positions - like quarterback - and way too hard on others.
If Ray Guy, unquestionably the best player of all time at his position, doesn’t get in, but the 30th-best quarterback of all time (and perhaps the 3rd or 4th best quarterback of his era) does, things are messed up.
Were we talking about the MLB HOF I’d agree, but I don’t think the NFL puts quite as big an emphasis on MVPs and Rings. I’m admittedly biased, if he struggles to get in I think it’ll be the poor seasons at the end of his career that hurt him the most.
Also, the cynic in me would point out that the HOF would probably really love to get a second black QB into Canton.
I’m not a purist when it comes to the HOF. I like the idea of an inclusive system and I personally would rather go and see the bust of a guy like McNair with a great storyline and listen to his acceptance speech than a more non-descript guy with bigger career numbers like Testaverde (not that Vinnie shouldn’t be in, just that McNair would be more compelling). I think Ray Guy needs to be in under any circumstances. Generally I find the MLBs obsession and slavish devotion to statistical comparisons in HOF voting to be comically misguided.
I’m with you on the interest factor- I was a big fan of McNair’s earlier in his career and he genuinely is a fan favorite- but I’m a purist in the sense that I believe Hall of Fame doesn’t equal Hall of Really Good.
I think McNair is/was just Really Good.
Yes, yes, a million times yes.
I would actually love that move. I love Flacco and realize he might be a bust, but I’d rather take a gamble and pick a guy to hang your hat on than to settle for who’s left after the Flacco-Henne-Brohm-Booty crapshoot shakes out. The Pack hasn’t exactly had a great legacy of drafting in the middle-to-late rounds afterall, so they can have our second and one of our third rounders.
Perhaps, but it’s the Hall of Fame. To me, that doesn’t equate to “great” vs. “really good”. It means famous, significant. McNair is definitely that.