The consensus on national media outlets seems to be that the Vikings hit a home run in their acquisition of Donovan McNabb. Much of the reaction to all the transactions has been positive because there is a collective sigh of relief that they are relevant once again. Chris Mortenson and John Clayton obviously grew tiresome of commenting on the court proceedings.
I, on the other hand, am extremely skeptical of the move. It screams of desperation much the same way that the Brett Favre scenario did. It is simply another instance in the downward spiral of the organization’s dealings with quarterbacks over the last few years. The selection of Christian Ponder has already been roasted previously.
Some other possibilities would have included Vince Young. I realize that the man is a ticking time bomb, especially when a rival fan questions the validity of the Texas Longhorns in a public setting. He is, however, in the physical prime of his career. He is old enough to have game experience under his belt, but young enough to physically be at the peak biologically. His record as a starter is also very impressive over his career. The price wouldn’t have been too high for him since he has agreed to terms on backing up Michael Vick in Philadelphia.
Kevin Kolb of the Arizona Cardinals also would have been a better fit than McNabb. I know that the Vikings shied away from this endeavor because they feel like Ponder would be ready before his five year contract comes up. Conventional wisdom says otherwise though because numerous mock drafts had Ponder slipping much lower than where he was taken. Kolb has only started seven games in his career, but there is a buzz around him that I haven’t seen associated with a back up player since Steve Young was in San Francisco.
Matt Hasselbeck, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, would also be a consideration. Like McNabb, he had a down year last season, but he is the all time leading passer for the organization and has proven himself to be the consummate professional. The question is whether to think he has more left in the tank at this juncture than McNabb. It would be pure speculation at this point, but I do comprehend that McNabb was the worst quarterback in the NFC East last year. It may be the most competitive division in football perennially, but that is still a startling statement when it is taken at face value.
Kyle Orton is a name that many Vikings fans deplore simply because he was a Chicago Bear. In his defense, that is not as bad as being a member of the Green Bay Packers. The Denver Broncos have had Orton taking snaps with the first team. This could be a ploy to raise his value with suitors or they could plan on starting him if the right deal doesn’t come along. The jury is still out on reserve Tim Tebow and the squad is only asking for a third round pick for its starter. Orton has proven the ability to rise to the occasion in the past.