Trade ships quarterback to Vikings
ASHBURN — The trade was rumored, discussed and supposedly finalized. And then it finally ended, with Donovan McNabb getting his wish: a trade.
The Redskins shipped McNabb to Minnesota for a sixth-round pick in 2012 and a conditional one in 2013.
Thus ends a disappointing one-year tenure. The Redskins traded a second- and fourth-round pick to Philadelphia to land McNabb in the 2010 offseason. But he was benched during a loss at Detroit in October and eventually for the final three games of the season.
“Donovan was a great guy,” linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. “He was a standup guy, loved him dearly. He was a leader, and I would have loved to have him back here, but things didn’t turn out the right way. He’ll go on and eventually be a Hall of Famer.”
When McNabb arrived, it seemed the capper to that sort of career would occur in Washington.
“You’re thinking he’ll come in and really help us win more games,” Alexander said. “It didn’t work out, and now he’s not here.”
Said left tackle Trent Williams: “I’d be lying to say I wasn’t surprised or shocked. I think the whole Redskins nation [is], but it was a decision made by coach [Mike Shanahan]. You don’t question that.”
The Redskins weren’t just working on the McNabb deal Wednesday. They had a busy day, starting around 12:30 a.m. when they agreed to a six-year contract with defensive lineman Barry Cofield.
That was just the start. And their attention quickly shifted to receiver. They agreed to one-year contracts with Donte Stallworth and Brandon Stokley and traded defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon to Denver for Jabar Gaffney.
They now have 14 receivers on the roster. Adding three veterans provides them insurance if the rookies aren’t ready, having had no offseason work.
Of the three, Gaffney, entering his 10th year, has the best chance to make an impact. Though one scout called him a “retread” and just another guy, one evaluator called Gaffney a good No. 2, smart and — if used right — a contributor.
Gaffney caught 65 passes for 875 yards with Denver last season, and reports suggested he was in danger of being cut. Jarmon was in the same spot here. Last summer, the Redskins shopped him before final cuts, and he was considered a better fit as a tackle or end in a 4-3 front.
Stallworth caught just two passes for 82 yards with Baltimore last season and missed half the season after breaking his foot during training camp. He was suspended from the NFL in 2009 after being convicted of DUI manslaughter. He has good speed but also a lot to prove.
Stokley played two seasons for Shanahan in Denver, catching a combined 89 passes. He has caught 338 in his 12-year career.
The Redskins also agreed to a deal with quarterback Kellen Clemens, who spent his first five seasons with the Jets.
