NFL Trade Rumors: Eagles QB Kevin Kolb Likely Headed to NFC West
Published by Daniel Lewis (Featured Columnist) on May 13, 2011 on Bleacher Report. Click to download article.
Ed Reinke/The Associated Press
With QB Michael Vick coming off a stellar season that culminated in a Pro Bowl berth, the Philadelphia Eagles are again faced with a depth dilemma at the quarterback position.
Though they have yet to proclaim that he is available, all indications are that backup QB Kevin Kolb will likely be traded to another team when the lockout is lifted.
After all, the Houston product remains only 26 years old and already has quite a few wins and eyebrow-raising performances under his belt.
With the time to get acquainted with the intricacies of a pro offense dwindling because of the work stoppage, quarterback-needy teams would love to grab a veteran like Kolb. He can step in immediately knowing what it takes to lead a team.
That said, with the oft-injured Vick at the helm, the Eagles are in no hurry to get rid of Kolb.
However, it appears that a market starved for signal callers has driven up the price to the point that they are unlikely to turn down the offers.
NFL Network’s Charley Casserly, a former general manager, believes that with the NFL draft in the rear-view mirror, Kolb’s trade value has only increased. He believes the Eagles will receive more than a first-round pick for the veteran quarterback.
His reasoning is simple. “If you don’t have (a quarterback), you can’t play,” he said.
Thus it is a given that his value is already high. But in what uniform will Kolb be suiting up next season?
Look for talented teams lacking a solid starting QB to make a play for him. Teams that are still rebuilding—think Buffalo and Miami, for example—are unlikely to part with draft picks for a young QB when the team still needs to add multiple pieces.
Casserly thinks that the main competition for Kolb’s services will come from the NFC West.
“Clearly Arizona is at the top of the list. Seattle is a close second…Arizona was in the playoffs two years ago with a veteran quarterback, and they have a Hall of Fame wide receiver in Larry Fitzgerald.”
Indeed, both teams could put in a flyer for him to make themselves immediate contenders.
His fellow NFL Network analyst, Steve Wyche, agrees with Casserly, assuming that the Eagles receive adequate compensation.
“The Eagles are about winning championships, so they won’t move him unless they get a primo offer. That said, Arizona and Seattle seem set to get into the sweepstakes, with the Cardinals poised to possibly throw out the biggest deal.”
Arizona and Seattle are not the only teams, though, that could make the move for Kolb.
Michael Lombardi, for example, is not counting out the Cleveland Browns as a possible destination, even though Colt McCoy fared fairly well in his rookie season.
“That pick acquired by Cleveland (Atlanta’s first-round in 2012) might be the one needed to acquire Kevin Kolb and reunite him with the man who was responsible for drafting him, Browns general manager Tom Heckert.”
Indeed, Heckert has shown no hesitation to negotiate with his former team, acquiring Eagles veteran CB Sheldon Brown in a trade last April and shipping RB Jerome Harrison to Philadelphia during the season.
Although the destination remains unknown, it looks as though Eagles fans can get ready to say goodbye to a high-profile quarterback for the second straight offseason.
Though they have yet to proclaim that he is available, all indications are that backup QB Kevin Kolb will likely be traded to another team when the lockout is lifted.
After all, the Houston product remains only 26 years old and already has quite a few wins and eyebrow-raising performances under his belt.
With the time to get acquainted with the intricacies of a pro offense dwindling because of the work stoppage, quarterback-needy teams would love to grab a veteran like Kolb. He can step in immediately knowing what it takes to lead a team.
That said, with the oft-injured Vick at the helm, the Eagles are in no hurry to get rid of Kolb.
However, it appears that a market starved for signal callers has driven up the price to the point that they are unlikely to turn down the offers.
NFL Network’s Charley Casserly, a former general manager, believes that with the NFL draft in the rear-view mirror, Kolb’s trade value has only increased. He believes the Eagles will receive more than a first-round pick for the veteran quarterback.
His reasoning is simple. “If you don’t have (a quarterback), you can’t play,” he said.
Thus it is a given that his value is already high. But in what uniform will Kolb be suiting up next season?
Look for talented teams lacking a solid starting QB to make a play for him. Teams that are still rebuilding—think Buffalo and Miami, for example—are unlikely to part with draft picks for a young QB when the team still needs to add multiple pieces.
Casserly thinks that the main competition for Kolb’s services will come from the NFC West.
“Clearly Arizona is at the top of the list. Seattle is a close second…Arizona was in the playoffs two years ago with a veteran quarterback, and they have a Hall of Fame wide receiver in Larry Fitzgerald.”
Indeed, both teams could put in a flyer for him to make themselves immediate contenders.
His fellow NFL Network analyst, Steve Wyche, agrees with Casserly, assuming that the Eagles receive adequate compensation.
“The Eagles are about winning championships, so they won’t move him unless they get a primo offer. That said, Arizona and Seattle seem set to get into the sweepstakes, with the Cardinals poised to possibly throw out the biggest deal.”
Arizona and Seattle are not the only teams, though, that could make the move for Kolb.
Michael Lombardi, for example, is not counting out the Cleveland Browns as a possible destination, even though Colt McCoy fared fairly well in his rookie season.
“That pick acquired by Cleveland (Atlanta’s first-round in 2012) might be the one needed to acquire Kevin Kolb and reunite him with the man who was responsible for drafting him, Browns general manager Tom Heckert.”
Indeed, Heckert has shown no hesitation to negotiate with his former team, acquiring Eagles veteran CB Sheldon Brown in a trade last April and shipping RB Jerome Harrison to Philadelphia during the season.
Although the destination remains unknown, it looks as though Eagles fans can get ready to say goodbye to a high-profile quarterback for the second straight offseason.