NFL Trade: Arizona Cardinals Acquire Kevin Kolb but at What Cost?

After much speculation on Kevin Kolb’s value, the Arizona Cardinals have determined he is worth Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick…and $63 million over five years, $20 million of which is guaranteed.

This move represents a huge gamble for head coach Ken Whisenhunt as he looks to find an answer at the quarterback position.  

There is much speculation on if the Cardinals gave up too much, both in compensation to the Philadelphia Eagles and in Kolb’s contract, to acquire his services.

Some critics and fans are applauding the decision, and the Cardinals did need to make a move at the QB position.  Larry Fitzgerald will be a free agent at the end of the 2011 season, and his contract does not allow the Cardinals to place the franchise tag on him.  

Arizona's only hope of keeping their star player was to acquire a QB Fitzgerald wants to play with.

If the trade for Kolb is the difference in keeping Fitzgerald, then it is hard to take issue with the decision.  He is worth Rodgers-Cromartie and a slew of second-round picks.  However, there is no guarantee that Fitzgerald will return to the Cardinals, nor that Kolb will be the difference to the wide receiver that says he wants to be a Cardinal.

Looking at Kolb’s 2010 performances, inconsistency is the cornerstone of his play.  He looked great against the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons.  Both of these these teams were bottom-third pass defenses, though, and were top-10 run-stoppers.

Kolb threw in a mediocre performance in a losing effort vs. the Washington Redskins.  He struggled heavily in losses to the Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys.

There are several QBs that figure to be available in the 2012 NFL Draft with more potential than Kolb.  The Cardinals are looking for an immediate fix, and may have found one.  But at what cost for the future?

The Cardinals have issues on their offensive line, at running back and depth at wide receiver.  They will also have to fill gaps on defense, including the recently vacated CB position.

Arizona could again be near the top of the NFL Draft in 2012.  Fans that are happy with the addition of Kolb could end up frustrated that they missed an opportunity at one of the top QBs in the draft class.

2010 Kevin Kolb Game Log
DATE	OPP	RESULT	CMP	ATT	YDS	%	AVG	TD	INT	RAT
Sun 9/12	Vs GB	L 20-27	5	10	24	50.0	2.40	0	0	56.3
Sun 10/3	VsWSH	L 12-17	22	35	201	62.9	5.74	1	1	76.0
Sun 10/10	@ SF	W 27-24	21	31	253	67.7	8.16	1	0	103.3
Sun 10/17	Vs ATL	W 31-17	23	29	326	79.3	11.24	3	1	133.6
Sun 10/24	@ TEN	L 19-37	26	48	231	54.2	4.81	1	2	56.9
Mon 11/15	@ WSH	W 59-28	0	0	0	0.0	0.00	0	0	0.0
Sun 1/2	Vs DAL	L 13-14	18	36	162	50.0	4.50	1	3	37.0
Season Stats			115	189	1,197	60.8	6.33	7	7	76.1