Kevin Kolb Traded To Arizona Cardinals In Exchange For Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

The contract can’t become official until Friday night when teams are permitted to sign players.

The Cardinals are only a couple of years removed from their Super Bowl run so with a competent quarterback I think this once again puts them in the conversation for division champs in the NFC West.

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With those rumors swirling, Kolb won’t be reporting to Eagles training camp on Thursday whether a deal is in place or not, according to the Phiadelphia Inquirer.

It appears that Kolb leaving town is basically a foregone conclusion at this point so there’s no point in him bringing the media circus to Eagles camp.

Check out Bleeding Green Nation for the latest on Kolb’s future.

This deal will likely hinge on the Eagles’ perception of Kolb’s value. They know his talents the best, and they reportedly would want a secon- or third-round pick in addition to a starter like Rodgers-Cromartie.

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Mike Jurecki of XTRA 910 in Arizona got the rumor started saying the Cardinals are prepared to make the deal and Les Bowen of the Philly Daily News doesn’t think it’s so crazy.

It definitely makes sense on a couple of levels. The Eagles are prepared to make a Super Bowl run right now so a player -- instead of a draft pick -- may be a little more valuable.

Several GMs and personnel executives may disagree with the assessment that Kolb is worth a first round pick. The Boston Globe polled seven GMs and personnel executives and there was hardly a consensus on his value.

Ultimately, it will only take one team to make a move on Kolb and I think there will be someone out there who gives up a first round pick. If Kolb ends up being an above average starter, then a first round pick is easily worth it.

Though Kolb to the Cardinals has been called a “slam dunk” there are concerns among Arizona coaches regarding Kolb’s fit, according to Scout.com.

The concerns range from Kolb’s career touchdown-to-interception ratio (11:14) as well as his yards per pass attempt in five starts in 2010. That number fell under seven yards per attempt and, until last season with Arizona’s awful quarterback situation, the Cardinals have never averaged under seven yards per attempt under head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

That’s why Kolb, with a career 3-4 record as a starter, could be traded for a first round pick. In fact, it could be even more than a first round pick if two teams get into a bidding war over him.

Of course, the NFL lockout could affect Kolb’s value (and of course it does since the lockout affects everything else). If this thing goes into August or September, it’s hard to see someone giving up a first round pick for Kolb with only a few weeks to prepare him for the season. So there is still a lockout factor that could put a damper on any Kolb trade.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, that may not be the case.

This is very true but you also have to remember that quarterbacks with a proven track record are A.) generally not available through trade and B.) much more expensive than Kolb will be.

So it makes sense then that the template for a Kolb trade would be the one that was used for Schaub.

So I would be somewhat surprised if just two second round picks was the price. In a market like this where player movement is minimized due to the lockout, I could see Kolb’s price tag being driven higher, to a package that includes a first round pick.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that, while the lockout was briefly lifted last week, it’s possible the Cardinals discussed a trade with the Eagles. He also notes that the Cardinals opted to pass on Gabbert which tells him the Cardinals think they can find a way to get a Kolb trade done.

The move makes sense for both teams.

This is no surprise to Eagles fans at Bleeding Green Nation. Following the draft, they ranked the teams most likely to make a move for Kolb and the Cardinals sat at the top.

Of course, nothing can go down during the lockout. Any talks and rumors can’t be put into place until that’s lifted and the league year is back to normal.

What would the cost of such a move be? Tom Pelissero of ESPN 1500 reports that three of four scouts he’s talked to would give up a first round pick for him.

The obvious caveat?

On the one hand, you think about trading Kolb because there’s a market for him and he could potentially net a first round pick. On the other hand, you want to think about keeping him around because Vick’s playing style may lead to an injury where a backup quarterback is necessary.