Kevin Kolb: Why Ken Whisenhunt's Job Depends on Kolb's 2011 Season

Kevin Kolb Could Determine Future of Ken Whisenhunt and Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals had the worst quarterback situation in the league in 2010. Ken Whisenhunt prematurely cut Matt Leinart and began the 2010 season with a stable of lackluster quarterbacks.

As a result, Larry Fitzgerald wasn't utilized properly and the Cardinals became the worst team in the worst division in NFL history.

When the Cardinals went into the draft, many people suspected they would draft Blaine Gabbert with the fifth overall pick. While Gabbert's talent didn't justify the fifth overall pick, it appeared to be a situation where overwhelming need was going to trump value.

Drafting LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson with the fifth overall pick came as somewhat of a surprise, but failing to draft a quarterback throughout the draft in its entirety was downright shocking.

By electing to pass on quarterbacks throughout the draft, it was clear that they were going to make a huge splash in free agency or orchestrate a blockbuster trade.

The most movable potential franchise quarterback in the league was clearly Kevin Kolb, who lost his starting job to Michael Vick upon Vick's monster performance when Kolb fell to injury.

There have been countless reports in the past 24 hours that say that Kolb is destined for Arizona, but at what cost? It's unclear what could be sent to the Eagles for Kolb, but it could be some sort of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie package deal. Oddly enough, Rodgers-Cromartie's jersey even appeared on the Eagles' website for sale momentarily.

Even if Kolb goes to Arizona for a reasonable price, the quarterback situation may be unresolved. Kolb carries a hefty amount of risk with him, as he has never played a complete NFL season and has been average at best when he does get in the game.

Even so, he's got a lot of potential and he's miles ahead of any quarterback to be on roster in Arizona since Kurt Warner left.

The Cardinals are placing all of their faith solely in Kolb and Fitzgerald is coming up on a contract year. If Kolb doesn't pan out and Fitzgerald continues to be a diamond in the rough, he may be tempted to exit Arizona.

The Cardinals are competing against three very beatable teams. You could make a case for any of the four teams finishing in first and any of them finishing at the bottom of the division. The Rams have the best quarterback, the Seahawks added Sidney Rice and the 49ers are always competitive.

If Kolb ends up living up to the hype, it could put the Cardinals comfortably in the mix as the best team. If not, it puts them comfortably in the mix for Andrew Luck (assuming they didn't ship their first off in the Kolb trade).

Whisenhunt has had long enough to make the changes necessary. If the Cardinals fail to take significant strides as a team, expect Whisenhunt to be on his way out. He currently has the support of the majority of fans, but the team's regression is largely his fault.

Some of the downfall was out of his control. While Warner retiring obviously makes for a setback, it's Whisenhunt's moves and non-moves that made for their miserable season last year.

A repeat performance would be more than enough reason to send him packing.