Reid sat at the head of the oval-shaped table. Banner took his usual place to Reid's right and Roseman sat to Reid's left, across from Banner. Lurie was next to Banner, farthest away from the coach. The usual seating chart for these kinds of meetings, according to Banner.
They weren't going to announce it to the world - or even tell McNabb, not yet - but the Eagles' brass had already concluded they were ready to look to the next decade. They'd had so many discussions in smaller groups that their decision to trade McNabb felt inevitable.
"The crux of the decision, and I think everybody [involved in the decision] would describe it the same way," Banner said, "[was that] we have two quarterbacks who are very good, we think . . . capable of winning a Super Bowl - I understand that needs to be proven. Donovan didn't do it. Kevin hasn't even tried yet. But at that point, it really became [a question of] one of them has a chance to lead us for the next eight to 10 years . . . one, who knows? One year? Four years? But a considerably shorter time."
The men already had posed a range of questions they deemed crucial:
Are we giving up a chance to win the Super Bowl this year? Are we right there if we wait another year?
Do we really have to go in one direction or the other right now?
If we keep McNabb, do we let him play one year? If we keep Kolb, can we leave him in the last year of his contract?
Who had been asking those last contractual questions?
"The odds are, it was me," Banner said. "That's kind of my role in the conversation. 'Let's just think of the cap implication, the contract side of this, the timing of the contract question.' "
According to Banner, Reid basically said: "I think either one of these guys are top-quality guys and we can win [this year] with them."
![In 1999, Donovan McNabb posed with family and friends after being picked by the Eagles in the first round out of Syracuse. He became the starter late in the '99 season. "He's got two to three years [left] at a high level of play, minimum," Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said recently of McNabb.](http://media.philly.com/images/600*450/20100725_inq_mcnabb25z-m.JPG "In 1999, Donovan McNabb posed with family and friends after being picked by the Eagles in the first round out of Syracuse. He became the starter late in the '99 season. \"He's got two to three years [left] at a high level of play, minimum,\" Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said recently of McNabb.")
