Donovan McNabb: The New Face of The Redskins

[12thMan]

Shortly after Dan Snyder hired General Manager Bruce Allen to undo the sins of his predecessor to finally right the the Redskins organization, I couldn't fathom another moment surpassing Allen's arrival in either significance or impact. Even the signing of Mike Shanahan, while it was welcomed, really was a foregone conclusion for many weeks. But what a difference a day makes. It's been less than 24 hours since the Redskins landed, what could be, the biggest and most stunning aquisition since the Eagles and the Redskins swapped Norm Snead and Sonny Jergensen in 1964 - almost to the date. Nearly every pundit and fan alike have opined on the deal. From the likes of Andy Roddick and ESPN's Mike & Mike, to thewarpath.net analysts GTripp and SirClintonPortis, to the average Joe riding Metro have all weighed in.

But beyond filling the yearly question mark at quarterback for the Redskins, McNabb also fills another void; he's officially the big man on campus now. Mike Shanahan might be head coach, but win or lose this is now Donovan McNabb's team. He has now, in my opinion, become the face of this franchise. It's not uncommon for a star athlete to, over time, establish himself as the face of a new organization. Many players have moved on and have had productive careers and positive impacts on their new team and city. But it isn't everyday for a player to have instant cred with his new teammates before he takes a snap, a ringing endorsement from his former coach and ex-teammates, and a collective shock around the NFL that is still reverberating.

During the past decade under Dan Snyder's stewardship, the Redskins have had a plethora of big name stars that have come and gone. Some have lived up to the hype and some haven't. McNabb's reputation as a team player and, more importantly, a no-nonsense, no drama leader has already begun to course it's way through the 'Skins locker room. Yesterday I listened to DeAngelo Hall speak glowingly of the trade. Moments later Lorenzo Alexander couldn't help but speak about Jason Campbell in the past tense and how much he welcomed the change at quarterback. I couldn't help but think that this attitude will yield results on Sundays. Confidence breeds confidence and McNabb is already commanding the respect that Jason Campbell couldn't and Clinton Portis has flirted with on and off since becoming a Redskin.

More than likely, Redskins fans will see McNabb's face and that #5 jersey plastered on everything and anything the Skins marketing team can conjure up. In the meantime, let's enjoy the ride. Welcome to D.C., Mr. McNabb.