The Arizona Cardinals completed the NFC West's quarterback makeover Thursday, executing their long-rumored trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Wally Pipped quarterback Kevin Kolb. The Cardinals sent the Eagles a second-round pick and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie for the privilege of signing Kolb to a $63 million contract to replace the Derek Anderson fiasco and cover up the Cardinals' strange lack of faith in Matt Leinart.
Kolb, 27, has proven competent but unspectacular in two limited exposures to NFL action, but he was still seen as the Eagles' quarterback of the future until the moment Michael Vick completed his return to NFL stardom. With unsigned Fordham rookie John Skelton the Cardinals' starter at the end of their ugly 2010 season, Kolb will find himself with considerably fewer blocked paths to a starting role in Arizona.
He joins Tarvaris Jackson--and Leinart--of the Seattle Seahawks in remaking an NFC West landscape dominated in 2010 by an aging Matt Hasselbeck, Sam Bradford, and the 49ers' continued lack of faith in Alex Smith. In 2011 it looks like all four NFC West squads will go into the 2011 season with a quarterback they believe in.