In a deal that will not only shake up the dynamics in the NFC East but also this month’s draft, ESPN is reporting that the Eagles have traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins in exchange for Washington’s second round pick this year and either a third or fourth round pick in 2011.

It’s unclear at this point whether the Redskins are working on extending McNabb’s contract, which expires at the end of the 2010 season. If he were traded, McNabb said that he wanted to play for a contender and considering he’s familiar with the NFC East, he might be comfortable finishing his career in Washington. He may also relish playing the Eagles twice a year, too.

It’s a little perplexing why the Eagles would trade him within the division – especially given the importance of McNabb’s position. There’s an unwritten rule that states that teams shouldn’t trade within their division because it could wind up haunting them in the long run. But maybe this was the best deal Philadelphia was offered and they jumped on it before the opportunity passed them by.

Now that the Redskins have their starting quarterback, what happens to Jason Campbell? The Skins will likely try to trade him, but they might not find many suitors considering other teams now know Washington doesn’t need him. Still, if they can get a mid round pick for Campbell, it would be better than releasing him and getting nothing in return. (Or keeping an unhappy Campbell on the roster.)

This deal also affects the draft, seeing as how the Redskins have been linked to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. With their starting quarterback now in place, Washington will no doubt target an offensive tackle with their top pick because that’s their most pressing need. If the Lions don’t take Oklahoma State’s Russell Okong (the top OT prospect) at No. 2, then he’s a near lock for the Redskins at No. 4.

It’ll be interesting to see what McNabb has to say about this deal. He’s known for the past couple weeks that the Eagles were in discussions about trading him, but how does he feel being dealt within the division? That must be a tough pill to swallow considering that he knows the Eagles aren’t scared about playing him twice a season.

This is rather shocking when you think about it – not that McNabb was inevitably traded, but whom he was traded to. The Eagles just traded their franchise quarterback of the last decade to a division rival for a couple of draft picks. A division rival. The compensation is fair, but it’s nevertheless a crazy ordeal that Philly dealt him to a team they go head to head with twice a year for a second round pick.

Let the Kevin Kolb era begin in Philadelphia.

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