Sources: McNabb may be Raider

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The Oakland Raiders have emerged as the leading candidate to land quarterback Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The sources say all the ingredients for a trade are in place. Of all the teams the Eagles have spoken with, the Raiders have been the most willing to meet the Eagles' asking price. Last week, The Associated Press reported that the Eagles want a pick in the top 42 of the 2010 draft for McNabb. Oakland has a second-round pick that is the 39th overall selection.

Also, the sources say McNabb's contract, which has one year and $11.2 million left on it, has scared off other teams. But, the sources say, Oakland is not concerned that McNabb is due a $6.2 million roster bonus on May 5 nor that the quarterback is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2010 season.

There also are connections between the Raiders and McNabb. Raiders owner Al Davis and McNabb each went to Syracuse, and Oakland's new offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson, is a distant cousin of McNabb's.

Should Oakland trade for McNabb, it would be the most stark admission by the Raiders that former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell has not been the player the team had hoped. Oakland selected Russell with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft and awarded him a six-year, $68 million contract that included $31.5 million in guaranteed money.

One source familiar with trade discussions said no deal was done with Oakland. But other league sources predicted it soon would be done in a trade that would be the NFL's biggest offseason move.

And although McNabb has informed coach Andy Reid that he wants to stay with the Eagles and, if he has to be traded, would prefer to go to a winning team such as the Minnesota Vikings, the sources say the Eagles will do what they believe is best for team even if it means trading McNabb to the Raiders, a team with a recent history of losing.

McNabb and four others, including cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown and punter Sav Rocca were no-shows at the Eagles' nonmandatory workouts on Monday, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports.

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