Angus
06-05-2007, 11:12 AM
McNabb isn’t focused on being well-liked
By Bob Grotz, Of The Times Staff
PHILADELPHIA — When Eagles head coach Andy Reid spoke Monday of leadership qualities at quarterback, he was talking about rookie Kevin Kolb, not Donovan McNabb.
Speaking on the 610-WIP AM Radio Morning Show, Reid praised the second round draft pick, calling him “another player that we feel is a legitimate starter.
“I saw a kid that was a very good leader,” Reid said. “He has tremendous feet and arm strength and he has an opportunity to come in and learn from one of the best in the business.”
The remark was telling, if not puffy in that McNabb’s injury history is such he now could be considered one of the best only by adding the caveat, if healthy. McNabb said he hopes to be sufficiently rehabbed to be available by the second preseason game, Aug. 17.
Earlier on the Morning Show it was franchise quarterback McNabb who bristled about contrasting his leadership style to that of veteran Jeff Garcia’s. When McNabb hurt his knee last season, the fiery approach of Garcia helped spark the previously floundering Eagles to the playoffs.
Leadership clearly is a button-pushing issue for the laid-back McNabb, who had been accused by disgruntled former Eagle Terrell Owens, among others in the locker room, of not being a great leader.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to be rah-rah, get in your face and do all of that,” McNabb said. “I personally don’t even like guys like that. I’m a guy that likes to show by example. I’ll motivate and get guys fired up but I like to show by example and I think that’s important because now they really get a chance to see how you perform under pressure and in certain situations.
“And that’s what being a leader is. A leader to me isn’t a guy that’s going to pat you on the back and fight you and whatever and then he gets out there and makes one play and then you ask yourself, where are you? That’s when people really turn their back on you.”
The Eagles would be within their rights to ask McNabb where he’s been, for his example has been missing. He’s been sidelined 13 games over the past two seasons. The Eagles are 9-11 with McNabb in the starting saddle since reaching Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.
McNabb, as he’s attempted in a series of offseason interviews made without the supervision of the Eagles, tried to demonstrate he’s his own man, not the company man critics have painted him.
But as much as McNabb tries to turn the page, the more he sounds stuck in the past. The new McNabb sounds much like the old one, which is to say a victim.
Most telling was that McNabb told WIP he never could have gotten away with signing autographs and appearing in public as often as Garcia did while leading the Eagles to a six-game win streak last season.
“If it was me autograph signing every week and doing things of that nature people would probably say I’m out just trying to get money or get paid,” McNabb said. “When you’re focusing on the whole season I feel that has to be your main focus.”
While McNabb feels the injuries that sidelined him three of the past five seasons are freakish in nature, he conceded the quest for self preservation resulted in the curtailment of his scrambling.
“In this game you can’t live in that dare devilish style at the quarterback position,” McNabb said. “You have to learn the offense and you have to be comfortable in the offense.”
McNabb also made an appearance Monday on WPEN Radio, telling its morning crew, among other things, that he has some input into personnel decisions in free agency, not the draft.
“I can bring some names up and have a list,” McNabb said. “But if they’re not granted...”
The Eagles lost No. 1 wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth to free agency, replacing him with Kevin Curtis, a mostly career backup.
Reid, on the other hand, told WIP he hopes to stick with the near 50-50 pass-to-run balance that kick-started the playoff run with Garcia last season. The Eagles already have one of the premier offensive lines in the NFC. They added running backs Tony Hunt and Nate Ilaoa in the draft.
Though Reid said quarterback Kolb “doesn’t have to come in and start tomorrow,” and that McNabb can “hopefully play for the next 10 years,” it was painfully obvious you would want to take the under number.
“We shouldn’t be looking at the position as much as what-if?” Reid said. “It’s a physical game. What if somebody gets hurt? Are you going to continue to play at a Super Bowl level?
“Donovan doesn’t have to worry about Kevin Kolb. He doesn’t have to worry about A.J. Feeley. He needs to be worrying about going out and winning football games. And that’s what he’s doing right now.”
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By Bob Grotz, Of The Times Staff
PHILADELPHIA — When Eagles head coach Andy Reid spoke Monday of leadership qualities at quarterback, he was talking about rookie Kevin Kolb, not Donovan McNabb.
Speaking on the 610-WIP AM Radio Morning Show, Reid praised the second round draft pick, calling him “another player that we feel is a legitimate starter.
“I saw a kid that was a very good leader,” Reid said. “He has tremendous feet and arm strength and he has an opportunity to come in and learn from one of the best in the business.”
The remark was telling, if not puffy in that McNabb’s injury history is such he now could be considered one of the best only by adding the caveat, if healthy. McNabb said he hopes to be sufficiently rehabbed to be available by the second preseason game, Aug. 17.
Earlier on the Morning Show it was franchise quarterback McNabb who bristled about contrasting his leadership style to that of veteran Jeff Garcia’s. When McNabb hurt his knee last season, the fiery approach of Garcia helped spark the previously floundering Eagles to the playoffs.
Leadership clearly is a button-pushing issue for the laid-back McNabb, who had been accused by disgruntled former Eagle Terrell Owens, among others in the locker room, of not being a great leader.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to be rah-rah, get in your face and do all of that,” McNabb said. “I personally don’t even like guys like that. I’m a guy that likes to show by example. I’ll motivate and get guys fired up but I like to show by example and I think that’s important because now they really get a chance to see how you perform under pressure and in certain situations.
“And that’s what being a leader is. A leader to me isn’t a guy that’s going to pat you on the back and fight you and whatever and then he gets out there and makes one play and then you ask yourself, where are you? That’s when people really turn their back on you.”
The Eagles would be within their rights to ask McNabb where he’s been, for his example has been missing. He’s been sidelined 13 games over the past two seasons. The Eagles are 9-11 with McNabb in the starting saddle since reaching Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.
McNabb, as he’s attempted in a series of offseason interviews made without the supervision of the Eagles, tried to demonstrate he’s his own man, not the company man critics have painted him.
But as much as McNabb tries to turn the page, the more he sounds stuck in the past. The new McNabb sounds much like the old one, which is to say a victim.
Most telling was that McNabb told WIP he never could have gotten away with signing autographs and appearing in public as often as Garcia did while leading the Eagles to a six-game win streak last season.
“If it was me autograph signing every week and doing things of that nature people would probably say I’m out just trying to get money or get paid,” McNabb said. “When you’re focusing on the whole season I feel that has to be your main focus.”
While McNabb feels the injuries that sidelined him three of the past five seasons are freakish in nature, he conceded the quest for self preservation resulted in the curtailment of his scrambling.
“In this game you can’t live in that dare devilish style at the quarterback position,” McNabb said. “You have to learn the offense and you have to be comfortable in the offense.”
McNabb also made an appearance Monday on WPEN Radio, telling its morning crew, among other things, that he has some input into personnel decisions in free agency, not the draft.
“I can bring some names up and have a list,” McNabb said. “But if they’re not granted...”
The Eagles lost No. 1 wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth to free agency, replacing him with Kevin Curtis, a mostly career backup.
Reid, on the other hand, told WIP he hopes to stick with the near 50-50 pass-to-run balance that kick-started the playoff run with Garcia last season. The Eagles already have one of the premier offensive lines in the NFC. They added running backs Tony Hunt and Nate Ilaoa in the draft.
Though Reid said quarterback Kolb “doesn’t have to come in and start tomorrow,” and that McNabb can “hopefully play for the next 10 years,” it was painfully obvious you would want to take the under number.
“We shouldn’t be looking at the position as much as what-if?” Reid said. “It’s a physical game. What if somebody gets hurt? Are you going to continue to play at a Super Bowl level?
“Donovan doesn’t have to worry about Kevin Kolb. He doesn’t have to worry about A.J. Feeley. He needs to be worrying about going out and winning football games. And that’s what he’s doing right now.”
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