http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2739967

Quote :

"McNabb reportedly has several gripes with Eagles ESPN.com news services Will Jeff Garcia be back in Philadelphia next season? More importantly, does Donovan McNabb want to be back? Citing people close to the injured star quarterback, The Trenton Times reported Tuesday that McNabb is unhappy with several things that have happened with the Eagles since his season ended with a torn ACL in his right knee. Some of McNabb's reported gripes: • McNabb reportedly is unhappy that Eagles coach Andy Reid didn't allow him to travel with the team to New Orleans for the team's playoff game against the Saints. The Eagles have a rule that players on injured reserve don't travel with the team. • McNabb also reportedly might be getting the feeling that some with the Eagles might prefer Garcia as the team's starting quarterback after Garcia led Philadelphia to the playoffs and a postseason victory after McNabb's injury. • And McNabb also reportedly isn't happy with how his mother has been portrayed in the media and by Eagles fans for comments on her blog on his Web site. She wrote that watching the Eagles win without McNabb was "bittersweet." Garcia is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. One former teammate told the newspaper that he doesn't envision Garcia returning to the Eagles as a backup. "I know Jeff and I know how he is," the unnamed former teammate told The Times. "After the way he played -- what was he, 6-1? -- and then he won a playoff game. He's not going to be happy being a backup again. He's way too much of a competitor for that. He should be going to the Pro Bowl the way he played. He knows that. Now, you want him to be a backup, and get paid like a backup. That's not going to happen." Last week, Reid canceled a news conference scheduled for McNabb because he wanted him to concentrate on his rehab. McNabb hasn't spoken at length to reporters since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Nov. 19. "He's been working like crazy right now and I don't want anything distracting him," Reid said on WIP-AM last week. "I want him focused in on taking care of his knee, and that's what he's doing. He came out [Thursday] and ran in the pool for the first time and he didn't have a limp when he ran in there. Those are all positive things." During the season, the Eagles said McNabb had decided not to speak to the media after undergoing surgery because he did not want to be a distraction to the team. Although the 30-year-old quarterback did a couple of brief television interviews, his situation was not discussed in any sort of depth. "I saw nothing that would be beneficial for him to stand up there," Reid told WIP-AM last week. "I'm the head coach and I get to make those decisions." Reid said last week that, provided McNabb is healthy, there will be no quarterback controversy at the start of next season. "It's Donovan," Reid told WIP-AM. "I think Jeff [Garcia] has told you that and I've told you that before. I don't think there's any question. It's a matter of Donovan just takes care of business now." The Eagles' rollercoaster of a season ended with a gut-wrenching 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints in an NFC second-round playoff game, leaving Reid, his staff and players to ponder so many near-misses and what-ifs. Philadelphia's season began with so much promise after a 4-1 start. McNabb was back to playing at an MVP level after Terrell Owens and a sports hernia disrupted his 2005 season, and the rest of the team hopped on his broad shoulders. Then came a three-game losing streak, including a last-second loss on a 62-yard field goal by Tampa Bay's Matt Bryant. It seemed to get only worse when McNabb tore a knee ligament in Week 11. Hardly anyone expected much from the Eagles after a 24-point defeat at Indianapolis a week later left them at 5-6. But Garcia rallied his teammates to five straight wins, the NFC East title for the fifth time in six years, and an 11-7 finish."

McNabb is much more talented, but that offense was much more balanced and dangerous with Garcia at the helm. Add in McNabb's proneness to the injury bug, and this could really be an issue during the off-season.

On the other hand, not letting him travel with the team to New Orleans for a playoff game is beyond deplorable.

1/23/2007 2:18:37 PM

wow. I hope the panthers end up with one of them.... (typical TWW response I know)

1/23/2007 2:21:27 PM

personally id like to see garcia come to tampa...hed be a good fit, especially if they can draft calvin johnson

1/23/2007 2:28:41 PM

^^Garcia would be more of a possibility than Mcnabb imo.

but even garcia probably wouldn't come...he most likely would want to go where he knew he would be the starter at this stage in his career

McNabb's contract is probably too big unless they can trade and unload salary somewhere else.

we have the 2nd worst cap # in the NFL.

[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 2:31 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2007 2:30:57 PM

With Rucker and Lucas likely gone, that has to free up a good amount of cap-room for ourselves to make some moves.

The fact that they were more balanced with Garcia isn't a sign of how good Garcia is or that McNabb was the reason they weren't balanced. That was the OC knowing he could just let McNabb do his business without using the running game as a crutch, but with the success they saw this year don't be suprised if they run the ball more even if McNabb is back in the game.

1/23/2007 2:53:17 PM

with as dynamic of a player as westbrook is, he has got to be a main option in your offense. he was being under used i think for the portion of the season where they were sliding out.

1/23/2007 2:56:21 PM

Quote :

"One former teammate told the newspaper that he doesn't envision Garcia returning to the Eagles as a backup."

they couldn't just say TO?

1/23/2007 2:57:16 PM

^^ 100% correct. They don't use him nearly enough when mcnabb is in there.

Quote :

"With Rucker and Lucas likely gone, that has to free up a good amount of cap-room for ourselves to make some moves."

If i'm not mistaken, we're currently over the cap, and projections to restructure/drop Rucker and make a few other cap related salary moves only put us like 2 mil under.

[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 2:59 PM. Reason : .]

1/23/2007 2:58:52 PM

Quote :

"they couldn't just say TO?"

Hahaha

1/23/2007 3:01:59 PM

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"not letting him travel with the team to New Orleans for a playoff game is beyond deplorable."

Not if it's the team policy. If anything I'm glad they didn't make an exception for one player

1/23/2007 3:09:14 PM

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"The fact that they were more balanced with Garcia isn't a sign of how good Garcia is or that McNabb was the reason they weren't balanced. That was the OC knowing he could just let McNabb do his business without using the running game as a crutch, but with the success they saw this year don't be suprised if they run the ball more even if McNabb is back in the game."

Dude, I realize McNabb is better, Hence:

Quote :

"McNabb is much more talented, but that offense was much more balanced and dangerous with Garcia at the helm."

but again, it seemed like they played much more into the teams strengths with garcia @ QB. Philly is a tough place to play, I wouldnt be suprised if McNizzle has had enough of Rocky's city.

^are you fucking kidding me? McNabb has LED them to 3? NFC title games, and is/was the face of the franchise. Not making an exception for him is really a slap in the face, especially because, no watter the win/loss record, they were where they were (In New Orleans) largely because of McNabb.

[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 3:14 PM. Reason : ^]

1/23/2007 3:11:30 PM

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9949889

Quote :

""I think that people are making a lot of things up here that aren't true," Reid said in a conference call Tuesday. "That's how it works. I just hate to see people making things up that aren't really true.""

1/23/2007 6:15:53 PM

Garcia is old (almost 37).

McNabb is not as old (30).

They would be dumb to get rid of McNabb.

1/23/2007 6:47:49 PM

wow would be freaking awesome if we could get garcia

1/23/2007 10:18:38 PM