The relative solitude of Easter Sunday in 2010 was disrupted by a stunning bit of NFL news. The Eagles traded franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins.
In return, the Eagles picked up a 2010 second-round pick and, ultimately, a fourth-round pick in 2011. Philly fans feared several years of being pummeled twice per season by McNabb and his new team. McNabb emerged victorious in his return to the place he called home for 11 years, but then the Eagles and Mike Vick put a beating for the ages on their division rivals on a Monday night.
McNabb later was benched for Rex Grossman, and the Redskins traded McNabb to the Vikings after the 2011 lockout ended. His stint in Minnesota was even less memorable.
The two trades resulted in the Eagles selecting safety Nate Allen in the second round of the 2010 draft. He has appeared in 59 of 64 regular-season games, with 54 starts.
The fourth-round pick in 2011 was shipped to the Buccaneers in exchange for a pair of fourth-round picks, one in 2011 and one in 2012. With the 2011 pick, the Eagles selected linebacker Casey Matthews. The 2012 fourth-rounder was traded to the Texans for linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who has started every game during his two years with the team. Matthews, who began his rookie season as a starter, was benched after three games but nevertheless has appeared in all 48 of his career regular-season games.
The Redskins, who got the short end of the first McNabb trade, did well with the second McNabb trade, landing the sixth-round pick that became running back Alfred Morris. He has started 32 regular-season games and generated 2,888 rushing yards in two years with the team.