Reid, McNabb finally catch up

By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com
Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid finally caught up with one another yesterday at the NovaCare Complex, an Eagles spokesman confirmed last night.

Details of their discussion were not available. Attempts to speak with McNabb through the Eagles have been declined by the quarterback, who has told the spokesman he wants to concentrate on his rehab right now and doesn't want to be distracted. Of course, one could argue that McNabb could minimize the distraction by commenting, however briefly, on the Eagles' surprise drafting of Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb with their first selection, 36th overall, last weekend.

On Saturday evening, Reid said he had tried to speak with McNabb and had left a message telling him not to worry, that the selection did not herald the beginning of the end for the 30-year-old player Reid selected with his first Eagles draft pick, second overall, in 1999.

McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith, told the Daily News on Saturday that the selection "caught me off-guard." Smith said then that he had not spoken with McNabb and added, "I don't know what to make of it."

Subsequent attempts to contact Smith have been unsuccessful. Sunday evening, when the draft was complete, Reid acknowledged that he still had not spoken with McNabb, who will sit out minicamps as he completes his recovery from ACL surgery. Reid has said McNabb should be OK for training camp, which opens July 27.

On Monday, McNabb reportedly came to the practice facility for rehab but did not speak with Reid, amid speculation that McNabb was not happy about the pick. His father, Sam McNabb, told the Daily News that he was not concerned, and that "my son works for the Philadelphia Eagles right now and when he doesn't any longer, there are 31 other NFL teams he can play for." *