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"Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden did a conference call Wednesday to discuss the quarterback prospects with which he's had a chance to work for his "Gruden's QB Camp" series in advance of the draft. He discussed them all, but the one of greatest concern to Washington Redskins fans is of course Robert Griffin III, whom the Redskins are expected to draft with the No. 2 pick two weeks from Thursday night. As reported fom Rich Campbell at the Washington Times:

"He can revive the Redskins as long as he stays healthy and he buys in and really takes to this new system and he continues to work. But this is a special young man whether the camera is on or off."

Griffin

Gruden believes Griffin will succeed under Redskins coach Mike Shanahan because of Shanahan's track record with mobile quarterbacks.

"Some of the best tape that I've ever studied was Mike Shanahan and John Elway in Denver," Gruden said. "The back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams, they took advantage of John Elway’s mobility. A lot of people forget just how extraordinary Elway was handing the ball off to Terrell Davis, and those naked bootlegs off of those stretch plays were devastating.

"What Mike did in San Francisco with Steve Young, another mobile quarterback, those were as good of offensive tapes as I've ever seen. I think when you get Robert Griffin, one of the most explosive quarterbacks to ever play the position, in a Mike Shanahan-type system, the possibilities are very exciting, I think, with Mike Shanahan's imagination."

Gruden and Shanahan are friends, it should be noted. And it's also worth noting that Elway and Young are two of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport. Griffin could surely have a long and successful career without ever being nearly as good as either of those two players. But that word "revive" is a good one, since that will be the young man's task. (Unless the Colts surprise everyone and take him No. 1, in which case it will be Andrew Luck's task.)

The Redskins and their fan base are yearning for something about which to feel good. Excitement about the Redskins has been dormant for a long time. Just imagining Griffin in a Redskins uniform has begun to "revive" that excitement, but Griffin must deliver on his considerable promise in order to create a real "revival" for the Redskins and their fans. It's hard to find an expert anywhere who doesn't think he is capable of doing that.

If you saw Donovan McNabb on "First Take" today, you know what this is about. If you haven't, here's the clip. McNabb, the former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins quarterback, was asked if he thinks Robert Griffin III is a good fit for the Redskins, who are likely to take him with the No. 2 pick in the draft four weeks from today. This was a perfectly teed-up Titleist of a question for McNabb, whose time in Washington was tumultuous to say the least, and he swung hard:

"No. I say that because a lot of times, ego gets too involved when it comes to being in Washington. Here's a guy coming out who's very talented, mobile, strong-armed. We've already heard he's intelligent. Football mind. Are you going to cater the offense around his talents and what he's able to do? Or are you going to bring the Houston offense with Matt Schaub over to him and have him kind of be embedded into that?"

The last part is a clear reference to Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the idea that he tried to fit McNabb into the offensive system he brought with him from the Texans. But there's more:

"We talk so much about Mike Shanahan and the things that he was able to do in Denver. Well, I have a couple of names for you that Mike Shanahan, quarterbacks he's coached and the lack of success that he's had. We have John Beck, who as 0-4. Rex Grossman, 6-11. Jay Cutler, who was his prized possession, 17-20. Jake Plummer, a guy who had success, led them to the AFC Championship against Pittsburgh and then benched him the next year because he wouldn't do what he wanted him to do pretty much. Brian Griese, who was supposed to be the heir apparent to John Elway and hasn't had a lot of success."

To his credit, Skip Bayless asked McNabb if he had an ax to grind. And to his credit, the first two words of McNabb's response were accurate:

"I do but I don't. The whole deal about it is, we hear so much about players who move on somewhere, how the next year will be a lot better. Give him a chance to learn the offense and understand what we do. I never got that chance. And a lot of people haven't."

My inclination is to tread carefully here, since there's obviously a far greater chance that McNabb spends this next football season in those Bristol studios than on a football field. But the plain fact is, the guy needs a mirror.

McNabb makes some fair points about Mike Shanahan and the lack of success he's had as a head coach with quarterbacks other than Elway. He makes some fair points about egos, and I don't think there's anyone who doubts that Shanahan has a big one. He himself might even admit to that. He's a head football coach. The list of men who are those and don't have egos is a pretty short list.

But McNabb this morning was using a platform to grind his ax, plain and simple. My quickie evaluation of him on TV is that he'll be an excellent NFL analyst as long as he's talking about people he hates. His breakdown of the situation in Washington as it pertained to him ignores these elements:

• He was benched by Eagles coach Andy Reid in 2008 and traded by Reid after the 2009 season to a team that the Eagles play twice a year. Clearly, there were some issues with McNabb even before he got to Washington. You don't trade your starting quarterback to a division rival if you think the guy is still worth having.
• Three separate Redskins people who were with the team during McNabb's only season there have told me that the issue with McNabb was that he didn't want to put in the work during the week. Yes, the system in Washington was different from the one he was used to in Philadelphia, but that McNabb's response to that was to shut down and refuse to learn or practice it. One of those three people told me Shanahan was aware, before making the trade, that McNabb had developed the reputation over his final few seasons in Philadelphia of not wanting to put in the work during the week, but that Shanahan believed he could light a fire under McNabb.
• Shanahan was not able to light that fire, and McNabb lost his job to Rex Grossman during the 2010 season. Rex Grossman, folks. Didn't lose the job to Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana. Couldn't play or practice well enough to fend off a challenge from Rex Grossman.
• The Redskins traded McNabb prior to the 2011 season to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick. McNabb must not have liked the egos or the system in Minnesota, either, since he played just six games there before losing the job to rookie Christian Ponder, then demanded his release later in the season after being demoted to the scout team.
• No one picked him up off waivers.
• No one has signed him so far this offseason.
• There has been not one report of any team being interested in signing him.

McNabb's career is almost certainly over, and he's clearly bitter about the way it ended. The Shanahans certainly made some mistakes in handling the McNabb situation and said some things that embarrassed a proud veteran and left him very angry. They are not blameless here. But neither is McNabb, and if he's going to sit there and say things like he said this morning on "First Take," he'd do himself and the rest of us a favor if he uttered maybe just one or two words about his own role in the way things turned out for him in Washington.

It's possible, after all, that Griffin will be excellent in Washington. There's nothing anyone's heard about the young man to indicate he's unwilling to work or learn anything new.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As you may have heard, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been wandering around the NFL owners meetings saying his team is undecided on whether it will take Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Irsay could be telling the truth, or he could be putting up a smokescreen, as everyone does about the draft this time of year.

One thing is certain, though. The Washington Redskins, who traded three first-round picks and a second-round pick to the Rams earlier this month to move up to the No. 2 pick, don't care. They know they're getting one of those premium quarterbacks, and that's all that matters.

"That's a decision, when you get to the second pick, you've got to feel great about both guys," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday morning. "There can't be any, 'Oh, I hope I get this guy, I hope I get that guy,' because you don't know what's going to happen. You know what's reported, but you just don't know, especially with this process. But when we did move up to that position, we had to feel great about both of them before we gave up what we gave up."

It's widely believed the Colts have been set on taking Luck for some time, and the likelihood is that the Redskins will end up with Griffin. And because of Griffin's exceptional speed and mobility, conventional wisdom has begun to coalesce that says Griffin "fits Shanahan's system" better than Luck would. But Shanahan disputes that notion, indicating that he believes it underrates Luck's athleticism.

"I say both of these guys, because they've both very athletic," Shanahan said. "When you take a guy (Luck), who's 6-4, that's 240 (pounds) and can run a 4.6 forty, that guy can move pretty good. And obviously with Robert, running a 4.4 or under, usually guys that are that fast can't throw. And he can do both."

The Redskins have not worried, since making the trade, that they paid too much. The franchise has been in need of a franchise quarterback for years -- decades, really. And Shanahan believes that it's an essential ingredient to a championship team.

"The Super Bowls that I've been involved with, with Steve Young, with John Elway, both were franchise quarterbacks," Shanahan said. "They can make plays when everything breaks down. And if somebody can do that, then you've got an opportunity, once you get to the playoffs, to do something special. Now, can you still win without one? Sure you can. But you'd better be pretty special."

Shanahan said he and his staff are spending 11 hours a day preparing for the rest of the draft, going over every possible player and trying to identify potential future stars they can find in the later rounds. But what the Redskins did when they made the deal with the Rams was buy themselves their biggest present a month before Christmas. And every day, they walk past it, wrapped and sitting under the tree. And as excited as they are, they're happy to wait to unwrap it, because they know it's going to be awesome.

I am traveling for a good chunk of this day, as getting out of Green Bay on the morning after a playoff game is a challenge, so the blog may be a bit light depending on whether my plane is Wi Fi equipped. To keep you busy, here are some facts the good folks at ESPN Stats & Information sent us Sunday night regarding Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.

We're No. 1: The starting quarterbacks in the game will be New York's Eli Manning, who was the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in 2004, and San Francisco's Alex Smith, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 Draft. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the second time in history that two No. 1 overall picks have faced each other in a conference championship, the first being the John Elway-Vinny Testaverde matchup in the 1998 AFC Championship Game.

Experience: This will be the 13th conference championship game for the 49ers, which is the third-most for any team. The Steelers have appeared in 15 and the Cowboys 14. It's the fifth conference championship game for the Giants, who are 4-0 all-time in this round, having won the NFC Championship Game in 1986, 1990, 2000 and 2007. They won the Super Bowl in all but one of those years -- 2000, when they lost to the Ravens.

Bay Area Blues: The Giants are 3-11 in San Francisco since 1980. That counts regular-season and playoff games. The 49ers are 19-8 all-time in home playoff games. A victory Sunday would tie them with the Steelers for the most home playoff wins of all time. But Manning got his fourth career playoff road win Sunday, tying him for the most ever by a quarterback. And Tom Coughlin got his sixth career playoff road win Sunday, which puts him one behind Tom Landry for the all-time record by a head coach.

Familiar foe: This is the eighth time the Giants and 49ers have met in the playoffs. That ties it with Giants-Bears and Cowboys-Rams as the most common playoff matchup of all time.

ASHBURN, Va. -- One of the most common criticisms of Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is that he's a slave to his own offensive "system," and more interested in finding players who fit that system than in finding the best possible players and constructing a system around them. Shanahan has heard this criticism, and when I brought it up in my interview with him last week, this is what he had to say about it:

"It's kind of funny, because when I had Steve Young and we had to run a West Coast offense [in San Francisco], and Steve was so much different than Joe Montana, you know, it was different. And then [John] Elway -- Elway didn't want to run the five-step drop. We were in a shotgun formation all the time. He hated the West Coast offense of three- and five-step drops, so with John it was a seven-step drop and a lot of shotgun. And then we wind up getting a guy like Jake Plummer, and of course Jake... totally different. He had to be outside the pocket, all those quarterback keeps, boots, none of the drop-back, none of the seven-step drop. He was good on the run, good on the play action, but the drop-back wasn't his game.

"So what you've always got to do is, whatever quarterback you have, you adjust your system to your players. The one thing I think I have been categorized with is the zone blocking scheme. People say, 'Oh, he loves the zone blocking scheme.' So I think I've been stereotyped there, relative to the running game. But in the passing game, if people look at what we've done in different places, they're gong to say, 'Oh, he adjusts the passing game to the quarterback.' Like with Rex [Grossman]. You can't run quarterback keeps with Rex, but you can do it with John [Beck]. So whatever somebody can do, you try to adjust accordingly."

Omar from Washington, D.C., sent in several questions for Shanahan last week, and one of the ones I used was about his relationship with his son, Kyle, who is his offensive coordinator. Omar wanted to know what Mike Shanahan thought of the criticism Kyle receives and how he feels his son has progressed in the role.

Mike Shanahan: "The important thing is that your coordinator knows what he's doing. Until you see a coordinator in meetings, or how he runs the meeting ... you're not really sure until you see him under the gun -- running game, passing game, installation of the run, installation of the pass, how he shows film, how he relates to the team. So that's where it's been very ... I shouldn't say a surprise, but it's natural for him, and it's easy to see that he understands the game. He can handle himself in any meeting, and until you see that as a coach, you just don't know, especially when it's your son. But he was very natural at that right away, so I became very comfortable with him, because I knew he knew what he was doing."

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I told Shanahan that I often get questions from fans about whether Kyle will be fired, and that I generally respond to them by pointing out that Kyle's father is his boss and that a firing is therefore unlikely. He seemed to agree with my assessment, but here's what he had to say about the criticisms and the coaching staff in general:

MS: "I think what I've always been able to do is look at things very objectively in terms of where we're at. So when somebody says, 'Hey, your offense sucks,' I go, 'Hey, wait a minute. You look at my body of work over the last 27 years, we're No. 1.' And we’re going to continue to be up there. And I also know what it takes to have a good offense, in terms of coaches and personnel, and we're gong to get there, on both sides of it. And if I have a bad coach, I'm going to make changes, and if I don’t have the right personnel, I'm going to make changes. And we're going to get that thing fixed the right way."

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Wendell Washington from Landover, Md., wanted me to ask the elder Shanahan about Redskins owner Dan Snyder -- specifically, whether Snyder has bought into Shanahan's belief that the way to build a long-term winner is through the draft rather than free agency and is sticking to his promise to let Shanahan do it his way.

MS: "Oh yeah, he's been very good. He's been very good letting me do it the way you want to do it. Been very supportive. I said to him, 'If you don’t count on me being here five years, you shouldn't sign me. Because this isn't going to happen overnight. We've got a lot of work to do. This is an older football team.' But he's been good."

---

Later on, though, I asked what impact the fact of his 11-21 record in his first two seasons as Redskins coach has on his faith that he's building the team the right way.

MS: "You just know that you've got two more years to get the job done, because they never let you go through the five years. You get it done in four years or you're gone. But that's what I love about this profession -- the pressure of it, what goes with it. The thing that I enjoy is that I've got an owner that's going to give me a chance to be successful. And if I can't get it done in four years, even though I've got a five-year contract, then I shouldn't be here."

We're going to do this every day until I run out of stuff. Thanks again for your help with the interview, and I hope you're enjoying what we've got out of it so far.

Tony Romo made an appearance on ESPN's "First Take" this morning and he smiled quite a bit while saying nothing. He wouldn't even make a Super Bowl prediction, saying the team that runs the ball best would win the game.

He said the 2010 season was "tough to swallow" and that he's ready to begin the 2011 season "right now." Romo was a big Packers fan growing up in Wisconsin and he worshiped Brett Favre. He's sort of distanced himself from Favre since becoming a starter in the league, telling reporters that John Elway was actually his hero.

Romo told "First Take" that the weather in Burlington, Wisconsin, today was worse than in North Texas, which is hard to believe.

Romo said he plans to attend Sunday's game, but said it will be difficult to watch other teams play in Cowboys Stadium.

It's hard to tell if the Washington Redskins are any better off right now as an organization than when the Jim Zorn era ended. I realize that Mike Shanahan has more skins (and rings) on the wall than the "Z Man," but things feel just as dysfunctional as ever.

My colleague Jeff Chadiha weighs in today regarding the way Shanahan has handled the Donovan McNabb situation. He's shocked that a man known for being a quarterback whisperer could've botched things in such epic fashion:

"As one league executive told me earlier this season, Shanahan's biggest mistake was not accepting McNabb for what he is," writes Chadiha. "Andy Reid molded his offense in Philadelphia around the fact that McNabb is more skilled as a deep passer and improviser. McNabb was never the quintessential, super-accurate quarterback who thrives in the West Coast system, and that appears to be what Shanahan covets.

"Mike should've just let Donovan be who he is," the executive said. "That's what worked in Philadelphia."

After watching the way Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have worked with Michael Vick following their successful run with McNabb, maybe we've given Shanahan too much credit for his work with quarterbacks over the years. It's not like John Elway had been a bust before Shanahan took over in Denver.

It appears that McNabb resisted the idea of changing some of the things that had made him a successful quarterback. And that seems like a reasonable response to 30-year-old Kyle Shanahan asking you to change your mechanics.

I understand that McNabb has played poorly this season by his standards, but I'd still place more of the blame on Father & Son Shanahan.

I wanted to let you know about a cool event that will be making stops in Nassau, N.Y., Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., for three days in January (18th, 19th and 20th). NFL fans will have an opportunity to participate in question-and-answer sessions with former players such as John Elway, Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe. I'm also told some NFC East legends will be in attendance, but those names haven't been released.

Tickets go on sale for the Inside the Game Tour on Monday, Dec. 13. Check out insidethegametour.com for more information on how to purchase tickets. I know that Joe Buck and Peter King helped put this thing together, so it should be pretty entertaining.

Like any other fan, former coach Dan Reeves sat on his couch Monday night and marveled at what Eagles quarterback Michael Vick did to the Washington Redskins in a 59-28 win. With his record-breaking performance, Vick inserted himself into the MVP conversation and served further notice that his remarkable comeback could be the story of the 2010 season.

Reeves has a unique perspective on Vick because he traded up to No. 1 in the 2001 draft to select Vick and made him the face of the Atlanta Falcons franchise. Even when Vick was sent to prison for running a dogfighting ring, Reeves was convinced that his former quarterback would once again star in the league. And that's why he's not shocked that Vick has regained his superstar status at age 30. Reeves has coached in seven Super Bowls with the Cowboys, Broncos and Falcons, so he's not easily impressed.

"I've seen [Roger] Staubach, [John] Elway and Michael Vick make you scratch your head and wonder what you just saw," Reeves told me Thursday morning. "I can remember Mike going to Minnesota [in Dec. 2002] and him running for nearly 200 yards [173]. You just don't see those types of things on a normal basis."

Vick's next test will come against a New York Giants team coming off an embarrassing 33-20 loss at home to Jon Kitna and the Dallas Cowboys. Nothing against the 38-year-old Kitna, but it's not as if he requires a defensive spy at this (or any other) point in his career. The Giants are claiming that Vick's not unbeatable, but there's plenty of evidence to the contrary when you look at the four games -- all wins -- that the quarterback has started and finished. Some would say that's too small of a sampling to place a man in the MVP race, but I'd suggest those folks take another peek at his performance against the Redskins, who looked like they were an Atari game system to Vick's Madden 11. (I'm still partial to Intellivision).

Reeves and Vick have remained close throughout the quarterback's struggles. Reeves sent Vick a congratulatory text after Monday's game, to which Vick responded, "Thanks. I'm going to keep working to get better every day." Vick has said numerous times that he didn't work hard enough when he was with the Falcons and that he's now making up for lost time. His former head coach said he didn't have an issue with Vick's work ethic during his three seasons with him in Atlanta, although it always bothered him that the quarterback wanted to spend the offseason in Virginia rather than working out at the team's facility. Reeves had been warned by Vick's college coaches at Virginia Tech to keep a close eye on Vick's associates, so that's exactly what he did when the quarterback was in town.

I think one of the things Reeves regrets most about being forced out during the '03 season in Atlanta is that he lost the chance to continue mentoring Vick. He knew that Vick was one of the most unusual players in the history of the game, and he wanted the opportunity to see what the two of them could accomplish. On Thursday, I asked him to put on his coaching hat and come up with the best way to defend Vick.

"I'd try to make sure he had a bad pregame meal, so he couldn't play," Reeves deadpanned. "I'd hate to defend him. It's just a nightmare. The offensive line looks so much better because guys are scared to death to get out of their lanes. And he has unbelievably strong legs, so even if you get to him, he can run through you. And the other thing is that he has one of the quickest releases I've ever seen. Honestly, no one really came up with a way to stop him during the short time I was with him."

That's why Reeves would have to chuckle at some of the bravado coming out of the Giants' locker room this week. It's almost as though they're trying to convince themselves that stopping Vick is a possibility. And given the Giants' record of knocking quarterbacks out of games -- five at last count -- maybe there's some validity to what they're saying.

Giants safeties Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant have set the tone this week in trying to suggest that Vick's an actual human. But you'd have a hard time convincing their Washington counterpart, LaRon Landry, of that after Monday's game. Perhaps Landry wasn't counting on Vick's delivering a ball 63 yards in the air to DeSean Jackson on the first play from scrimmage, but he should've been.

"Ain't nobody Superman out on that field," said Grant per ESPNNewYork.com. "Vick is just like me, ain't won no Super Bowls yet."

With all due respect to Grant, Vick's not like anyone in the league right now. And I hear he's planning to pack the cape for Sunday's game after reading that quote.

I can remember a time when Donovan McNabb owned the Dallas Cowboys. The specific play that comes to mind is the one that lasted 14.1 seconds on "Monday Night Football" in November 2004. In addition to producing that iconic completion to -- who else? -- Freddie Mitchell, McNabb threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Eagles to a 49-21 victory.

But those memories have faded in recent years. McNabb has lost seven of his last 10 games against the Cowboys, including all three matchups last season. Never mind that McNabb and the Eagles swept the other two NFC East teams in 2009. I think his recent failures against the Cowboys are a large part of why the Kevin Kolb era finally got off the ground in Philly.

And despite what McNabb has said publicly this week, don't think that last point's lost on him. In Philadelphia, every facial expression he made on the sideline was dissected in print, online and on talk radio. His air guitar session before last January's playoff game at Cowboys Stadium has come up several times this season, although he's quick to remind folks that it's something he'd been doing all season.

Perhaps the silver lining in the whole Albert Haynesworth fiasco is that McNabb has sort of flown under the radar at Redskins Park -- by his standards. Normally a starting quarterback with an ankle injury would generate plenty of headlines in the nation's capital, but it was a mere footnote to the ongoing catfight between Mike Shanahan and Haynesworth. For his part, McNabb seems incredulous to the theory that his recent failures against the Cowboys might have some bearing on Sunday night's season opener at FedEx Field.

"It’s a new year. You start all over again," McNabb told the Dallas-Fort Worth media Wednesday. "I think that’s probably the plus for all of us. Not just for me but for them as well. I’m sure they’re not excited about the way their season ended last year. Obviously, I wasn’t excited about the way my season ended last year. Everyone is coming into this game 0-0 and looking forward to getting their season started on the right note."

The reason McNabb might be a bit puzzled that so much is made of his disappointing play against the Cowboys is because he went 9-2 against them in the first six years of his career. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might have conveniently forgotten that record when he told the Philadelphia Daily News' Paul Domowitch last month that the Eagles might not be such a boom or bust team with Kolb at the helm.

But the 33-year-old McNabb hasn't dwelled on the past since showing up at Redskins Park. On the morning of his introductory news conference, he was already in the weight room with his new teammates, and on Thursday, he was elected captain. Shanahan and McNabb have restored a sense of credibility to the organization, but this process will take time.

McNabb told me recently that he called former Broncos greats John Elway, Terrell Davis and Rod Smith to ask them about Shanahan. The Redskins' quarterback had a close relationship with Eagles coach Andy Reid that by all accounts is still intact. But he didn't want to assume that things would be the same with Shanahan.

"I wanted to get a head start on knowing what type of verbiage he and Kyle [Shanahan] use, and I put pressure on myself to know what's going on inside their heads," said McNabb. "You know, I'm a jokeful kind of guy who likes to keep everyone loose, but I needed to know how they approached things too."

During a recent conversation inside his office at Redskins Park, Shanahan talked about how much he'd learned from working with Hall of Famers such as Steve Young and Elway. He said McNabb has some of the characteristics that helped those players lead teams to Super Bowls.

"Those guys could make plays when nothing was there," said Shanahan. "And [McNabb] has that same ability."

Shanahan said he's tapped into some of McNabb's knowledge of the Cowboys' defensive personnel. The Skins quarterback has a lot of respect for All-Pros Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware, but he also has an idea of where the Cowboys might be vulnerable.

"I think he knows them quite well," Shanahan told reporters Wednesday. "He knows the defense and he knows the personnel. Anytime you play within the division, obviously you know that team quite well."

How much will that knowledge help when McNabb's looking downfield for the aging Joey Galloway on Sunday? We're about to find out.

ASHBURN, Va. -- If you ever want to break up a pleasant conversation with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, just start pressing him on the Albert Haynesworth situation. That's what did the trick for me Friday evening. And by now you may have heard that Haynesworth will attempt to pass Shanahan's infamous conditioning test Saturday morning, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

While sitting in Shanahan's office admiring his sophisticated video equipment, I asked him if he regretted how this whole conditioning test had become somewhat of a "circus." Needless to say, the coach didn't like that particular word.

"There has been no circus here at all," Shanahan told me. "Our guys are coming here and getting down to business."

Earlier in the week, Shanahan made a statement to reporters indicating there was a chance he might eventually allow Haynesworth to participate in practice even if he did not pass the test. But he clarified his position on that point.

"There a chance I could win the lottery," said Shanahan. "But it's very, very unlikely."

So at some point Saturday morning, Haynesworth will try to complete two 300-yard shuttle runs, thus ending one of the most durable story lines of camp. And I don't blame Shanahan for being sick of the topic, although he could have made it go away by now.

The good news is that I asked a few questions on your behalf before we got around to Haynesworth. Johnaldrichl wanted me to ask Shanahan what it would be like working with his son, Kyle. He wanted to know how that dynamic would play out.

Shanahan: It's been very enjoyable so far and Kyle's very good at what he does. I'm not any tougher on him than I am on my other coaches. He's already had success in the league as an offensive coordinator, so I think that helps in this process. But it's something that is certainly rewarding.

A reader named aberlickij wanted me to ask Donovan McNabb how many years he'd ideally like on his new contract.

McNabb: The three quarterbacks going into the final year of their contracts are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and me. That's pretty good company. I'm really not worried about it. If we do what I think we're capable of doing, things will take care of themselves.

Received an email from DDunsworth wondering why Shanahan was so excited to trade for McNabb.

Shanahan: I coached Steve Young and John Elway and they could make plays when nothing was there. They could make plays with their legs and their arms. It's rare you have a chance to get a special player like that, and we had to do it.

You can read a lot more about Shanahan and McNabb in my upcoming Redskins Camp Confidential. Thanks for all your questions. I asked at least four of them on your behalf during my visits with Shanahan and McNabb.

Donovan McNabb made it pretty clear in his introductory news conference Tuesday he has an enormous chip on his shoulder.

That's a great sign for Redskins fans.

Washington landed an elite-level quarterback who spent the past 11 seasons making the Eagles one of the most successful organizations in the league. Watching him hold his new No. 5 burgundy and gold jersey with coach Mike Shanahan was the first of many surreal moments this blockbuster trade will produce.

McNabb talked about how John Elway was 34 when Shanahan became his head coach in Denver. The two went on to win two Super Bowls together. The 33-year-old McNabb smiled as he talked about the similarities. Fortunately, reporters were gracious enough not to point out that Elway had Terrell Davis at running back and a stable offensive line. But let's not deal with those harsh realities in this entry.

McNabb tried to keep the focus on Washington, but he couldn't help poking the Eagles with a sharp stick a couple times. Twice he said that he would treat the Eagles just like the Cowboys or Giants, but we all know better.

"They're rebuilding," McNabb said of the Eagles, knowing that word drives them nuts. "They're going young. I never knew 33 years was old, but I guess I'm too old."

McNabb said he's in good company when it comes to former Eagles stars who've finished their careers elsewhere. And it was no accident he brought up the "ultimate Eagle," safety Brian Dawkins, as an example. Without Dawkins, who signed with the Broncos in free agency, the Eagles were exposed at safety in '09.

But in a lot of ways, McNabb seemed grateful Tuesday all the offseason speculation had ended, saying, "I'm just so happy that it's over."

Dressed in a three-piece suit and standing next to Shanahan, McNabb seemed completely comfortable talking about himself as a Redskin. He spent Tuesday morning working out with his new teammates and he seems particularly excited about providing leadership to a new group of players. I think McNabb offended some of his young teammates when he called them out late in the '09 season. And that's probably why you didn't hear an outcry of support from the Eagles locker room once they began shopping McNabb.

Make no mistake. McNabb desperately wanted to finish his career in Philly, and he confirmed that during Tuesday's news conference. But now he's been given the rare opportunity to prove the Eagles made a poor decision by playing against them twice a year. McNabb said he talked to his replacement in Philly, Kevin Kolb, last night by phone. He obviously wants to beat the Eagles, but he has no ill will toward Kolb.

"I'm excited for him," McNabb said. "Andy's a great coach and great guy. He's shown the trust and confidence in [Kolb]."

Asked to talk about Mike Shanahan's offense, McNabb delivered the zinger of the day. Apparently he believes the Redskins will make more of a commitment to the run game than the Eagles.

"A lot of you people that came up from Philly don't know much about that run game," said McNabb, drawing laughs from the audience.

Shanahan yielded to McNabb for the most part, but he did point out that Elway was in his 13th season when he took over the Broncos and that Steve Young was in his 11th year when he worked with him in San Francisco. He said the starting quarterback "sets the tempo for the rest of the team" and he obviously believes that McNabb's experience is a huge plus.

Given the opportunity to address Eagles fans directly during the news conference, McNabb said, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and display my talents...The most important thing is that every time the Eagles stepped on the field, we felt like we could win that game."

McNabb basically sounded like the same guy we've followed for the past 11 years. He was engaging at times and he also sprinkled in some defiant moments. If he walked away from the game today, he'd leave an impressive legacy. But he acknowledged there's something very important missing, and he's hoping a change of scenery will help him accomplish that goal.

"I'm starting a new chapter in the book of Donovan," he said with a smile.

All signs pointed to another Redskins spending spree. For years, we'd become accustomed to Washington winning the month of March by signing big-name, if aging, free agents to lucrative contracts. To owner Dan Snyder and his top lieutenant Vinny Cerrato, the NFL draft was for weaklings.

While teams such as the Baltimore Ravens loaded up on offensive and defensive linemen, the Redskins turned to established stars in the league. Unfortunately, though, the Skins' version of March Madness couldn't overshadow what happened each fall.

Snyder built a foundation on smoke and mirrors, and the results had become downright depressing. At least the '09 season provided comic relief when Cerrato interrupted Sherm Lewis' bing0 calling to name him the team's playcaller. In retrospect, coach Jim Zorn was in over his head from the start. He was a panic hire by Snyder after his candidate pool evaporated in '08.

He has fired plenty of coaches in more than a decade as owner, but following last season's 4-12 campaign, Snyder knew his organization was at a crisis point. The losing was bad enough, but the Redskins had managed to alienate their fan base through a stunning series of blunders, the most humorous being a ban against homemade signs at games. In addition to being treated to a poor on-field product, fans were asked to express their dissatisfaction in healthier ways, such as politely clapping for first downs and pretending to recognize Marcus Mason's name.

If Snyder didn't get the next hire right, he might have encountered fan revolt. Fortunately for him, a Super Bowl-winning coach happened to have the '09 season off. Mike Shanahan might as well have had an office at Redskins Park because you knew he would replace Zorn from about Week 4 on. Snyder's only serious competition for Shanahan would've been the Cowboys, but most folks don't have an appreciation for Jerry Jones' devotion to Wade Phillips, a man who's happy to let the owner wear the whistle, and at times, the Russell coaching shorts.

The Redskins hired general manager Bruce Allen, son of George, late in the '09 season to start assessing the damage. Once he sacked Zorn, the stage was finally set for Team Shanahan to take over the building. The former Broncos coach hasn't done anything that dramatic (Artis Hicks, anyone?), but his presence alone has changed the club's perception around the league. As I walked the streets of Indianapolis during the combine in search of scouts and refreshments, people told me stories about Shanahan's iron-fisted ways. Members of the Cowboys' delegation weren't shy about admitting that the landscape of the NFC East would quickly change with Shanahan on the scene.

In fact, I'm not sure there's a coach in the league that Jones admires more than Shanahan. In the past, Shanahan had been a ghost at the combine, slipping into town to look at a certain player and then leaving before anyone saw him. But this year, Shanahan was popping up all over the place. He spent more than an hour with reporters and then I later saw him sharing trail mix with Wade Phillips at a Marriott property. For now, Shanahan's the face of the franchise and I think he realizes how important it is for fans to see him at work.

On the eve of free agency last Thursday, Redskins fans gathered at their laptops (hopefully) and read about Shanahan and Allen releasing 10 players. It sort of felt like the final cuts in the preseason. Allen was rather diplomatic in his description of Black Thursday at Redskins Park. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was a little more blunt, telling ESPN that the Skins were able to shed some "dead weight." Nice touch, DeAngelo.

Some of us interpreted these moves as a prelude to a big-ticket item in free agency, but unless Hicks and Maake Kemoeatu were at the top of your wish list, the Skins basically sat on their hands. You keep waiting for that other shoe to drop, but it looks like this is all we're going to get. It makes you wonder if someone's kidnapped the free-spending Snyder, an owner who has been known to covet another man's roster. Surely he'll put a stop to all this inactivity at some point. But Allen recently told SI.com's Peter King that Snyder seems to be taking the (non) news in stride.

"He didn't throw anything at me," said Allen of Snyder. "And he didn't throw a tantrum. He's fine with it."

So we've apparently entered a new era of Washington Redskins football. To be clear, though, Shanahan won't be given license to have a couple more 4-12 seasons. He isn't expected to win the NFC East title in 2010, but the Redskins will need to show marked improvement.

Fortunately for Shanahan, the bar's been set pretty low over the past decade. His critics will point toward his playoff record in the post-John Elway era in Denver. But his total body of work is impressive.

The best news for Redskins fans is that Shanahan and Allen don't appear to be looking for shortcuts. As we've seen in the past, shortcuts look a lot better in March than they do in December. Artie Hicks and Kemo might not get your heart pumping, but regaining the respect of your division foes should.

And that has already happened.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As promised, I'm about to deliver my annual combine mailbag, which will feature news and nuggets related to every team in the division. I've spent four days talking to draft prospects, coaches, agents and scouts. Now it's time for you guys to pick my brain. This shouldn't take long.

Casey from West Liberty, W.Va., is concerned about the Cowboys' WR situation: Please tell me that Dallas is considering other options at wide receiver aside from Roy Williams at this point. You've got to think that if you can get Anquan Boldin for a second rounder at this point you pull the trigger, don't you?

Mosley: So we're back around to Boldin trade scenarios? I'd missed those days so much. I think the Cowboys would be better off adding a wide receiver via the draft. It looks like second-year player Kevin Ogletree could develop into a No. 2 or 3 receiver if he's given enough attention. That's why I don't think the Cowboys need to select someone such as Golden Tate at No. 27 overall. Let's remember that Miles Austin and Ogletree were both undrafted. And Patrick Crayton has had a very nice career after being selected in the seventh round. There's no pressure to send a second-round pick to the Cardinals for Boldin. He wants to be a No. 1 receiver. That's not going to happen in Dallas, where Austin's quickly become the main man. And you also have the highest paid No. 2 receiver in the game in Williams.

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Mike from Richmond, Va., has a question about the Skins' RBs situation: So I hear Thomas Jones is going to be released. Do you think this is someone the Redskins would be interested in? Everyone is saying how much Shanny likes LT. I would think Jones would still have more in the tank. Thoughts?

Mosley: Everyone who's saying that Mike Shanahan loves LaDainian Tomlinson is exactly right, Mike. I think the coach has immense respect for Tomlinson after being battered by the running back in the AFC West. As AFC West blogger Bill Williamson told me this past week, Shanahan always covets players who have stuck it to him in the past. That said, I think you're correct to say that Jones has more left in the tank. He's arrived at that magic age where his skills begin to decline, but he could still be effective as a complementary back. Would he be happy splitting carries with Clinton Portis in Washington? Well, he may not have a choice. Honestly, I think Chester Taylor might be a better fit than Jones in Washington.

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Joseph from Bloomer, Wis., wants to talk about the Eagles' plans for free agency: Matt, what do you think the chances are that the Eagles make a big splash in free agency this offseason? Do they make a serious run for Julius Peppers? What about Darren Sproles? (I know there's more serious needs than RB, but he might fit in nicely.) Is there someone else on their radar that we're not hearing about? Do they go after someone big or do they stick with their usual M.O. and try to build through the draft? And how do you see the potential uncapped year affecting how the Eagles go about business? It seems like the majority of teams are going to do the opposite of what most initially expected and limit their spending as opposed to going all "NY Yankees" on the league. Thanks for the excellent offseason coverage!

Mosley: New general manager Howie Roseman opted not to speak with the media during the combine, so I can only go on what I'm hearing from other folks from the organization. I'd be surprised if the Eagles threw a bunch of money at Peppers. They know what it's like to sink a ton of money into an elite pass-rusher and basically come up empty. (See Jevon Kearse). There's a concern from people who've been around Peppers that he doesn't truly love the game. Something tells me that Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, the true power brokers, aren't looking to get into business with a guy like Peppers. I think it's more likely the Eagles will look for a pass-rusher in the draft. But I'd try to find a starting safety via a trade or free agency. It's a lot to ask of a rookie to step in and start at safety. Just ask Macho Harris about that. Even if you select someone like Taylor Mays or Nate Allen, it's not like you feel great at the position immediately. As long as you don't have to spend wildly, I'd go after someone like Darren Sharper from the Saints. He's getting older, but he's still a highly productive player. I've read the stuff about how Tracy Porter was the key to that secondary, but you'd be crazy to think the Saints would've made it to the Super Bowl without Sharper.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- For years, Mike Shanahan hasn't had a presence at the NFL combine. Even with Broncos beat writers staking out every exit of his hotel, Shanahan's stealth-like approach allowed him to get in and out of Indy without being noticed.

That's what made his appearance Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium so unusual. He arrived at 10:45 a.m. ET and spent more than an hour visiting with reporters and other bystanders. At one point, Shanahan said, "Two more questions, guys." Then he stayed and did one-on-ones for the next 30 minutes. I'm not saying Shanahan's going to turn into an open book, but it's obvious that he's now the face of the Washington Redskins.

Now, if he'd just come out and tell us who he's going to take with the No. 4 pick in April's draft. Shanahan was predictably coy with most of his answers, although he didn't hide his passion for free-agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson when I broached the topic.

But the main thing on everyone's mind is the quarterback situation in Washington. Shanahan didn't exactly give incumbent starter Jason Campbell a ringing endorsement Friday, although he expressed his "admiration" for the way Campbell overcame so much adversity in '09 -- namely preserving most of his body parts while playing behind an injury-ravaged offensive line. Shanahan confirmed that the Skins will offer Campbell, a restricted free agent, a tender that probably will have first- and third-round compensation attached. If he signs the tender, Campbell would make $3.268 million in 2010 -- otherwise known as Sage Rosenfels money.

Campbell is well within his rights to wonder why the Redskins would ask him to potentially start at quarterback while paying him second-string money. And while he's the ultimate team player -- as evidenced by his behavior last offseason while owner Dan Snyder fawned over other quarterbacks -- there's a chance Campbell could decide not to sign the tender and skip Shanahan's offseason workouts. General manager Bruce Allen is scheduled to meet with Campbell's agent Joel Segal during the combine, according to a league source. Maybe they'll flesh out some of the details. For now, though, Campbell's focused on remaining the starter in 2010.

"No matter who they take, I plan on winning the starting job," Campbell told me Friday. "My plan is to come out and have a great year."

Shanahan has had the good fortune of working with Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Steve Young and John Elway in the past. He knows better than anyone that this is a quarterback's league and that's what led him to trade the 15th and 68th overall picks in the '06 draft to move up and select Jay Cutler at No. 11. He made this move despite the fact that Jake Plummer had led the Broncos to the '05 AFC Championship Game. And by November of the '06 season, Shanahan had made Cutler the full-time starter.

I'm told that Shanahan became obsessed with getting a new quarterback after spending a lot of time with Peyton Manning during Pro Bowl week five years ago. He couldn't believe that Manning was actually studying for the Pro Bowl, something that a free spirit such as Plummer might avoid.

Obviously Shanahan's not going to tip his hand at this point, but you can guarantee that he already has a strong opinion on the top quarterbacks in this draft. I asked him how much college football he watched during his season away from the game and he admitted that it was more than usual. And you can bet that he was paying particular attention to Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Shanahan said he plans on going to the pro days for both of those quarterbacks.

"You just look at the film," said Shanahan, referring to Bradford. "He's played enough that people should have a strong opinion."

Of course, there's a decent chance Bradford will be off the board when the Redskins pick at No. 4. The St. Louis Rams could use a franchise quarterback about now. That leaves Clausen in the mix and perhaps Texas' Colt McCoy in the second round.

I think Shanahan definitely respects what Campbell has done with the Redskins, but the coach's track record suggests he's going to try to make a splash in this draft. And no matter how much you like offensive tackles Russell Okung or Bryan Bulaga, the game's not about the left tackle.

On Friday, Shanahan didn't say anything particularly revealing, but in a lot of ways, his past speaks for itself.