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It's official: Donovan McNabb will play for the Vikings in 2011. This after the veteran signal caller signed off on a trade that will send him from Washington to Minnesota in exchange for what is expected to be a sixth-round pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2013.

In what should be considered a moderately positive development for Fantasy Football owners, the Vikings and Redskins worked out the trade on Tuesday. McNabb approved on Wednesday and the trade was announced Thursday.

As Minneapolis Star-Tribune staffer Judd Zulgad notes, the five-year, $78 million contract extension McNabb signed last November will be torn up and he will receive a much-less lucrative, short-term contract from the Vikings.

There also reportedly was another hang up because the McNabb camp was concerned about reports the Vikings had pursued free-agent quarterback Tyler Thigpen and it rubbed them the wrong way that the Vikings insisted McNabb reduce his contract terms by a substantial amount.

But the deal was still consummated -- largely because McNabb wanted out of Washington. Minnesota, with a familiar face in head coach Leslie Frazier, certainly made the most sense as a destination at this point in time. In fact, Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio notes that McNabb wanted to be traded to Minnesota in 2010, but that former coach Brad Childress opted to lure Brett Favre back to town.

McNabb now gets his wish. It remains to be seen whether he'll do any better with his second new team in two years.

There is ample room for doubters to do their thing.

McNabb spent 11 seasons in Philadelphia, going to six Pro Bowls and leading the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl, before being dealt to the Redskins in April 2010 for two draft picks.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 1999 draft, McNabb left the Eagles as the franchise leader in passing yards (32,873), completions (2,801), attempts (4,746), completion percentage (59.0) and touchdown passes (216). He also rushed for 3,249 yards and 28 touchdowns.

But McNabb, who will turn 35 on Nov. 25, arrives Minnesota after a miserable one-season stint with the Redskins in which he threw a career-worst 15 interceptions and had 14 touchdown passes and a 77.1 passer rating in 13 games.

How bad was it?

McNabb was benched twice last season by Redskins coach Mike Shanahan as Washington finished 6-10.

Despite all that, the Vikings hope will be that McNabb can serve as a short-term bridge so Christian Ponder will have time to learn and develop as his backup. Ponder was the 12th pick in the April draft and is the Vikings' quarterback of the future.

One would think that future isn't too far away, but the fact that Ponder missed the entire offseason program because of the NFL lockout means it would be a lot to ask him to step in.

Still, before the reporting of the deal, Ponder tweeted: "Excited to have McNabb join. Will learn a lot from a Pro Bowler. But that doesn't mean I'm not still fighting to start week 1!"

So what should Fantasy owners expect from a McNabb-led offense?

Certainly, the veteran is well-versed enough in the West Coast scheme the Vikings will run under new coordinator Bill Musgrave. And one could easily argue that experience alone will make him a better Week 1 option than Ponder ever would have been.

That makes Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin both immediate beneficiaries. In fact, one could easily argue that the presence of such a dynamic duo would work in McNabb's favor as well.

Tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe and rookie Kyle Rudoldph likely make out as well.

Sidney Rice's departure leaves questions on the outside that won't likely be answered until the Vikings acquire his replacement. Braylon Edwards and James Jones have been mentioned as possible candidates.

But is McNabb a guy you want on your roster?

Not as far as I'm concerned.

Even if he holds onto the starting job into the regular season as expected, it's safe to assume that McNabb will be on a short leash. The Vikings drafted Ponder because they felt he could be an immediate starter. The lockout is the only thing that kept the team from testing that belief.

Then there's the aging, middle-of-the-road offensive line that's built more for the run than pass protection.

All of which reinforces my belief that neither McNabb nor Ponder are draftworthy. That doesn't mean they can't emerge as legitimate free-agent pickups as the season progresses. But for now, I have both on my "Ten-Foot Pole List."

(For the uninitiated, the list is comprised of players I wouldn't touch with your ten-foot pole.)

From a non-Fantasy perspective?

I agree with a point Florio made earlier this week when he pointed out if McNabb is still the starter on December 24, he'll get a chance to show the Redskins that it was them, not him, on December 24 at FedEx Field.

I would also suggest, however, that if McNabb is still the starter in December, the point will have already been made.