Article:Ravens Interested in Donovan McNabb??

Here is some of the rumblings, provided by the Philadelphia Inquirer:

''A report on ESPN yesterday said that the Baltimore Ravens, with new head coach John Harbaugh, are pondering making a substantial offer for the Eagles' veteran quarterback. After injuries limited Ravens starter Steve McNair to six games this season, it is only natural to wonder if Harbaugh, the Eagles' longtime assistant, would have interest in acquiring McNabb. ''

''The Eagles have gone on record as saying they expect McNabb to be back as their starting quarterback. Team president Joe Banner strongly stated late in the season that McNabb would return.''

''"I can't envision a situation in which [McNabb] is not our quarterback next year," Banner said. "We are talking about a quarterback who went to four straight [NFC] championship games. There are only four quarterbacks in the history of the league that have done that. You are talking about a quarterback who has had a higher winning percentage in his first seven years in the league than Peyton Manning. You are talking about a quarterback that has one of the highest quarterback ratings over the first seven seasons, one of the best TD-to-interceptions ratios of any quarterback in the history of this game in his first seven seasons in the league. . . . ''

''"My expectation, and I can't really even picture a different scenario, is that he'll be the quarterback." ''

''Since that time, a team source has said it would take an overwhelming offer to pry McNabb away from the Eagles. When the source was asked if a first-round pick would be enough, he said it would take more than that. ''

''If the Ravens were willing to give up a first-round pick for McNabb, it would give the Eagles the eighth and 19th overall selections in the 2008 draft. ''

''Before Harbaugh left his position as the Eagles' secondary coach to replace the fired Brian Billick as the Ravens' head coach, Baltimore's stance on McNabb was that it would be like replacing McNair with a younger version of its current starting quarterback. ''

''McNair, 35, has missed 22 games over the last five seasons because of injuries. McNabb, 31, has missed 25 games over the last six seasons with injuries. ''

''Salary-cap problems also could be a roadblock for the Ravens if they wanted to acquire McNabb. Only the Washington Redskins are in worse cap shape than the Ravens. It is likely that McNabb would want to rework his current contract if he were traded. He is signed through 2013.''

Why in the world would the Ravens trade for Donovan McNabb? The keyword is "trade." Signing McNabb would be a totally different story. Signing McNabb makes much more sense, obviously. Still the Ravens might  be willing to trade their 8th pick in the draft for McNabb, who has had his share of bad luck with injuries, is just insane. The Ravens have many holes to fill on that team. QB, CB, DL, WR, and LB. The Ravens are getting older and is in a state of rebuilding while trying to compete for a Super Bowl. They need to be served with some youthful players. Granted, McNabb is only  31. He's still in his prime and can put up MVP caliber numbers. This is about the needing to develop a franchise QB for the long haul. Trading for McNabb would on delay the inevitable. Again, signing McNabb would be a different story.

If the Ravens want to trade their 8th pick, trade it to the Dallas Cowboys for their two first round picks and maybe a third or fourth round pick. Those picks could possibly help solidify the gaping holes that are on the Ravens squad.

Can Troy Smith lead this team into playoffs? Well, based on his limited playing time, he seems like a keeper. He's a good decision maker, mobile, above average arm, and has average accuracy that will definitely get better with time. If not, who should the Ravens draft? With the 8th pick, the Ravens should only draft Matt Ryan at QB, if they are going to pick one that early. He's has the least amount of issues at this point and can definitely contribute right away. The problem is that the Atlanta Falcons will probably draft him with their pick, leaving Andre Woodson and Brian Brohm as the next two QBs with 1st round talent. Brian Brohm has some serious durability issues and some questions about whether he's a system QB or not. Andre Woodson has one of the slowest windups I've ever seen. That problem can make him a little erratic with his throwing at times. IMO, he does have the highest ceiling of any QB in the draft. But do the Ravens want to wait around for a project like Woodson? Probably not. Sleepers: Dennis Dixon (personal favorite), Colt Brennan (another personal favorite), Chad Henne, and Joe Flacco.

Dennis Dixon reminds me a lot of Vince Young with a stronger arm. The problem with Dixon is that he weighs about 200lbs. That's just being kind. At 6'4", he won't make it that long in the league, if he doesn't spend some time in the weight room. He did tear his ACL so there's another question mark. Is he another system quarterback? Joey Harrington hasn't exactly lit the world on fire. Neither has Kellen Clemens. But I'm a believer, especially if he falls around the 4th round.

Colt Brennan didn't help his "stock" with his performance at the Senior Bowl practices or in the actual game. But his accuracy with the football is unbelievable. I think he has above average accuracy and average arm strength. That doesn't look good to some, but it does to me when you watch him play. I know he played against the San Jose States of the world, but is that his fault? LOL, sort of. He did transfer from the Colorado, if I'm not mistaken. Still, he was accurate throwing the ball to the receivers running intermediate or deep routes. Obviously, he was usually the best talent whenever he stepped onto the football field. Throwing the ball to receivers on the out patterns could be a problem because of his arm strength. And he needs to hit the weight room too. For most part, he reminds me of Chad Pennington. He is a project, no doubt, so the Ravens might not invest in him. His stock is dropping rapidly, so he's worth a look from the 4th round on. Brennan just seems like a person that really wants to prove his critics and work hard doing just that.

Chad Henne's stock has risen, in part because of his performance in the Senior Bowl. Showing off his superior arm strength and accuracy throwing the ball deep. Injuries plagued Henne throughout his senior year. Sprained shoulder, ankle, or knee, it didn't matter. Missed a couple of games, but still played through the pain when called upon by Lloyd Carr. The sprained shoulder is scares me though. Might lead to surgery down the line. Could lose velocity and accuracy when throws. I don't know much about Joe Flacco. But from I've read, he could be the next Kerry Collins or Drew Bledsoe. Is that a bad thing? Lets just hope he doesn't hold onto the football too long.

The Ravens should just keep the 8th pick or trade it to the Cowboys for their two first round draft choices and possibly another pick. That would be a better trade than acquiring Donovan via trade. Hell, sign Daunte Culpepper. Just my two cents, if I had any.