Mike Shanahan’s first major decisions as the new boss of the Washington Redskins came in April 2010. On April 4, he traded away two valuable draft picks for quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Three weeks later, Shanahan selected tackle Trent Williams with the fourth pick in the draft.
Mike Shanahan — an April fool.
McNabb turned out to be an abject failure. He was benched in the final month of the season and traded in July, only to be cut by his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, last week.
It was a decision that set the franchise back at quarterback for several years.
Meanwhile, Williams and tight end Fred Davis reportedly have been suspended for the final four games of the season for multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Shanahan’s quarterback? Gone.
His first Redskins draft pick? Suspended.
These failures not only put the issue of Shanahan’s decision-making on the table, they make it the main course.
Moving forward, this is problematic, particularly given the character-driven path Shanahan is supposedly taking with this troubled franchise.
He traded for a quarterback — the leader of the offense — who turned out to be a fraud. Questions about McNabb’s work ethic arose in Washington and resurfaced again in Minnesota.
He drafted a cornerstone player — his left tackle — who turned out to be so immature and selfish that he reportedly failed at least three drug tests in only his second season in the NFL.
Character? You have to wonder whether Shanahan could recognize it if the NFL messiah himself, Tim Tebow, was standing in front of him.
Sure, it’s hard to predict character, and sometimes in the NFL it’s a relative judgment — relative to winning, usually.
But there were warning signs about both players.
McNabb reportedly was one of the main reasons the Philadelphia Eagles’ locker room was divided during the Terrell Owens drama. After the Eagles traded him to the Redskins, talk began about his practice habits in Philadelphia.
There also were questions about Williams’ work ethic coming out of Oklahoma before the draft.
Remember, Shanahan is a guy who welcomed Travis Henry, Dale Carter, Maurice Clarett and Daryl Gardener — all of whom would make an NFL public enemies list — into the fold in Denver at different times.
He also has drafted and brought in good citizens who have performed well. Ryan Kerrigan looks like one — at least today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Mixing talent and character is the delicate balance of successful team building. But when you build anything — or rebuild, despite what Shanahan may say — you want a sturdy foundation.
You want the first two bricks you lay to be solid, to be strong, to be bricks you can count on when things go wrong during the construction.
Mike Shanahan’s first two bricks were made of straw.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
