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ESPN position rankings - QB

By JasonB

This seems to happen every year now... the media starts off predicting doom and gloom for McNabb's career, saying it's close to over, questioning whether he can return... Then as the season draws near they start to come around.

ESPN lists the Eagles as having the #5 QB corps in the NFL.

5. Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan McNabb is the heart and soul of this team, but now 31, he has lost significant playing time due to injuries over the past several seasons and durability is a big question. Still, he's big-play guy capable of putting up huge numbers in the Eagles' pass-oriented offense and his arm strength, accuracy, mobility and leadership remain top-notch. The No. 2 spot starts with A.J. Feeley, who has shown glimpses of promise in stops at Miami and San Diego and knows this system, but he may have to battle Kelly Holcomb, who was obtained in an offseason trade from Buffalo. Holcomb has average skills, but he's tough and competitive. Rookie Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia's top draft pick, will be brought along slowly as the QB of the future.

The top 5 were Indy, Pats, Saints, Bengals, & the Eagles. I have to question the Saints at #3. Certainly Drew Brees had a great year last year, but it's still very debatable as to whether he's even a better player than McNabb. At the very least, you could say it's a wash. From there on it's hard to say the Saints' QBs are better than what the Eagles have. Jamie Martin is their backup and I'd imagine most people would take both Feeley & Holcomb to be their backup before Martin right now. After that, they have undrafted rookie Tyler Palko as their 3rd stringer while the Eagles have top pick Kevin Kolb holding the clipboard. There really should be no debate there.

You could really say the same about the rest of the top 5. I'm not going to tell you McNabb is a better QB than Brady or Manning... but I think if you look at top to bottom strength, the Eagles' QB corps stacks up favorably to any team in the NFL. I'm not the only one that thinks this.

Fox Sports also ranked the NFL QB corps and had the Eagles at #3. They also say what I feel, that the Eagles have the best QB depth in the NFL.

3. Eagles (2006 Rank: 8) Donovan McNabb surprised many by participating in a May mini-camp; it was an encouraging sign that he is ahead of schedule in his ACL rehab. McNabb underwent a grueling off-season program of knee exercises that included, among other things, long games of tag. Yes, as in "you're it." Don't laugh; children's games can help athletes improve the strength and flexibility in their legs. In fact, legend has it that Dan Marino overcame his collegiate knee injuries by riding the Double Dutch Bus. When healthy, McNabb is an elite quarterback. He's great at launching deep passes, but he's even better when the Eagles offense is balanced and he has the chance to throw underneath. McNabb underthrows some passes and is starting to lose his scrambling ability, but he's a great decision maker in the pocket and one of the hardest quarterbacks in NFL history for players not named Ronde Barber to intercept. McNabb has missed 13 starts in the last two seasons and is coming off a major injury. Luckily, the Eagles have the best quarterback depth in the NFL. A.J. Feeley is an Andy Reid disciple who knows the system and takes what the defense offers. Rookie Kevin Kolb is a shotgun quarterback with great touch and mobility; the Lewin Career Forecast ranks him as an excellent long-term prospect. Kelly Holcomb, acquired in the Takeo Spikes trade, may be the odd man out, but he's a heady veteran who can win a game or two if called upon.

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