The Arizona Cardinals have long been connected to Kevin Kolb in NFL rumors designed to give them a competent quarterback after they went best-player-available in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, selecting cornerback Patrick Paterson, but another option has been fed into the rumor mill as the price for Kolb, the Philadelphia Eagles' backup, reportedly remains high—Kyle Orton, currently in a strange situation with Denver Broncos wunderkind Tim Tebow despite a breakout campaign running Josh McDaniels's offense.
Orton isn't as highly touted as Kolb, and has an early career as a distinctly unimpressive passer for the Chicago Bears to live down, but Kolb's track record isn't exactly extensive, and Orton is more than competent enough to make an otherwise-talented Cardinals squad contenders in the still-weak NFC West. He averaged 7.1 yards per attempt as in 28 starts for the Broncos, and finished 10th in the NFL in the category in 2010. At 28 he's two years older than Kolb, though it seems like he's been around forever.
It's all a moot point until the NFL lockout finally ends, but Orton and Kolb are likely to both be in the conversation for would-be NFC West contenders the Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks, who both find themselves with veteran teams and unsteady quarterback situations.