Do The Browns Regret Not Trading for QB Donovan McNabb?

In a word: no. This past week, the Philadelphia Eagles traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the division rival Washington Redskins for a second-round draft pick and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2011 that can turn into a third-round pick. For a Pro Bowl quarterback such as McNabb, which is something the Browns could probably use, that might seem like a relatively cheap asking price. After all, the team does have five picks in the first three rounds of the this year’s draft.

However, according to Mike Holmgren, and this certainly makes sense, the asking price for McNabb was much higher when the Browns were one of the teams involved in early trade talks for the quarterback. Apparently, the price could have been as high as a first-round draft pick for McNabb. The Browns also were not all that willing to lose one of those highly coveted draft picks for a quarterback that would only give them a few years of service; instead, the team was much more content simply signing one out of free agency.

While the Eagles continue to catch flak for trading a quarterback to a division rival, the Browns are much more comfortable moving along with their own plan. Jake Delhomme fills the same purpose as McNabb – a veteran that will keep the position warm for a few years while the team tries to find and develop the quarterback of the future – and the team did not have to waste a draft pick on him. I wouldn’t say the group of quarterbacks is all that great in this year’s draft, but with those five early picks, it would hurt a lot less if the Browns draft, say, a Colt McCoy and it doesn’t pan out. There is no doubt that those other four picks would be used to add depth and talent to the positions in which the Browns need to see the most improvement. So that means every position is a possibility.