Big Trade For Big Ben?

Tonight will be the the first ever primetime NFL draft. Unlike previous years, tonight's show will only feature the first round. And with no first overall pick (held by the St. Louis Rams) yet to be determined, the anticipation is as high as ever.

The 'Skins have essentially eliminated the speculation that they would take a quarterback by mercifully ending Donovan McNabb's up-and-down decade in Philly, a city he will curiously revisit next year in a watered down rendition of Brett Favre's return to Green Bay as a Viking. That has cast Jimmy Clausen's draft position into serious doubt since Sam Bradford still holds the #1 spot in the eyes of most analysts. But given the interest shown by the Rams and Raiders in troubled Steelers passer Ben Roethlisberger (who just got handed a six game suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell for repeated violations of the league's misconduct policy), I have more than once entertained the idea of a blockbuster trade: the #1 overall pick and perhaps some extra picks for Mr. Roethlisberger.

Given the huge investment in guaranteed funds awarded to whoever has the increasingly dubious distinction of being the first overall pick, it may even be beneficial to the Rams to sign a proven veteran in Roethlisberger who is already tied to a longer deal. Sure, they might not get to play him or even have him in practice for several weeks, by St. Louis is in full-scale rebuilding mode. Getting a 2-time Super Bowl winner in Roethlisberger is more certain to me than committing their future to, say, Sam Bradford.

In return, Pittsburgh could draft Bradford, or they could trade down and possibly get Jimmy Clausen later in the draft. It is difficult for me to imagine anyone in the top five picks choosing a quarterback, since they all have high-priced signal-callers already. So I could see the Steelers maneuvering down to the sixth or seventh overall selection so that either Seattle or Cleveland could nab Bradford with the first pick. Then Pittburgh could go with Jimmy Clausen (the last famous Notre Dame quarterback to play for them was Super Bowl MVP Terry Bradshaw, after all) and still have the bargaining power of their later first round pick. There are few better places for a young quarterback than Pittsburgh, who have a dominant defense and usually a dependable running attack.

As for Roethlisberger, I am of the opinion that a six game suspension for his misconduct was harsh, although in keeping with the history of Commissioner Goodell. I understand that it is important for Mr. Goodell to be consistent in his punishments in order to show that no player is above the misconduct policy and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment, but given that no charges were levied against Mr. Roethlisberger I believe that a one or two game suspension would have been sufficient. His former teammate Santonio Holmes (who was traded from the Steel City to the New York Jets for a paltry fifth-round draft pick) was only suspended four games by the league for repeated substance abuse violations. Suspending a player who has not been found guilty of any crime goes beyond the sensibilities of just punishment, especially in a 16 game NFL season where the first six games can make or break a team's season.

Philly's Quarterback Quandry

One of the most dramatic stories of this young off-season has been the rumors surrounding Eagles signal-caller Donovan McNabb. News has circulated the NFL community that Philly is allegedly willing to deal the 10-year quarterback (selected with the second overall pick in the 1999 Draft), with the most likely potential suitors being the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams.

It is beyond this blogger's imagination as to why Mr. McNabb would even want to stay in Philidelphia, given the decade of mistreatment and disrespect shown to him by the organization and, to a much greater degree, the notoriously fickle Philidelphia fanbase. McNabb was famously booed by Philly fans when he was drafted (what a vote of confidence), and despite taking the Eagles to a Super Bowl and numerous NFC Championship games, the man still gets abused by the Philly faithful (a misnomer if there ever was one) who clamor for his release annually to the point that I expect some noise to come from Philly every off-season. It has become almost as routine as Brett Favre's flip-flopping on retirement, but much less amusing given that the Philly fans are hardly McNabb fans at all. Until he wins, at least. Even then, their loyalty isn't won for long; after they lose a couple games, the entire city goes back to sulking about a new quarterback.

Mr. McNabb's stats throughout his career are even more impressive considering that his only quality target in the passing game until the drafting of DeSean Jackson (only two years ago) was Terrell Owens, who was only there for a year before the relationship between him and McNabb disintegrated. Even now, I would be willing to bet that there are still some people in Philly who wish that T.O. had stayed with the Eagles and not McNabb.

As for his value in a trade, I would feel that despite McNabb's quality as a franchise quarterback, his injury concerns and age leave questions concerning his longevity. As such, he should merit a second or third round pick in this year's draft. I would suggest that Buffalo, who have struggled to find a playmaking quarterback for years, line up with the 41st overall selection. Who knows, maybe Andy Reid could nab Tim Tebow at that spot. Then Philly could have another quarterback to poke fun at for a decade.