Ravens GM Newsome denies McNabb rumors

Feb 5, 2008 - 11:53 PM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is not on the verge of joining the Baltimore Ravens, according to the Baltimore Sun.

General manager Ozzie Newsome, according to the newspaper, dismissed speculation that the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback will join former Eagles assistant and new Ravens coach John Harbaugh in a revitalized offensive attack next season.

"We have not had one meeting to discuss any personnel on our team or anyone else's team," Newsome told the Sun on Monday. "We've been very busy hiring assistant coaches."

The second overall pick in the 1999 draft, McNabb downplayed rumors multiple times throughout the season, even leading team president Joe Banner to sound off on the subject late in the season.

Both teams have opened themselves up to rampant speculation, however.

The Ravens have not publicly committed to last season's starter, Steve McNair, as their primary quarterback for next season while the Eagles spent their first pick - a second-round selection - in the 2007 NFL draft on University of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb.

For his part, Newsome was quick to explain the lack of support for McNair.

"We have not had any dialogue about our personnel," Newsome told the paper. "We don't have a quarterback coach yet."

A trade between the teams seems unlikely given McNabb's injury history and the price the Ravens would have to pay to secure his services, not to mention their track record in terms of holding onto their top draft picks.

McNabb, 31, has not finished two of the past three seasons because of injuries, missing 15 games since 2005. Over that three-season span, he has thrown 53 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions, including 19 TDs and seven interceptions in 14 contests this season.

On the other hand, Baltimore holds the eighth overall selection in April's draft - a pick that would almost need to be included in any deal involving McNabb between the teams. However, that would represent a drastic change in philosophy for the Ravens, who have never traded anything higher than a third-round pick for a player.