A long time ago, in the ancient days of paper ballots, agents representing several Eagles were upset that the team was making it too difficult for fans to cast votes for Philly players with Pro Bowl bonuses in their contracts. We’re reminded of that item from yesteryear because the Eagles now have a specific incentive to ensure that a former Philly player makes it to Honolulu.
As Rosenthal pointed out a little while ago, the fourth-round pick that the Redskins will send to the Eagles in 2011 becomes a third-round pick if quarterback Donovan McNabb participates in 70 percent of the snap and the team wins at least nine games, or if McNabb makes it to the Pro Bowl.
Jimmy Shapiro of SportsRadioInterviews.com made an interesting point in response to that reality. What’s to stop the Eagles from hiring a computer expert to write a program that casts millions of votes for McNabb? Though fan voting doesn’t determine the Pro Bowl berths, it still accounts for a full third of the process.
Meanwhile, the Redskins have zero incentive to make the case for McNabb. If he doesn’t qualify for the all-star game, they keep their third-round pick. (Unless they win nine games and he takes at least 70 percent of the snaps.)