Kolb's New Employer

When the Eagles used the franchise tag on Michael Vick the trading of Kevin Kolb became almost certain.  Andy smiled behind his cheese steaks all of last season knowing that he had two starting quarterbacks on his roster.  That comfort will soon be gone because Kevin Kolb may be the most valued quarterback available.  There is very little competition.  Vince Young will be available, he does have more experience then Kolb and a very high win percentage, but he does come with a lot of off field issues.  The 49ers are split between what to do with Alex Smith, and even if they decide to cut him or trade him there will be little argument that he would be better suited then Kolb to be a starter.  There was a recent article being passed around the web that Kolb was number one on Larry Fitzgerald's list for the Cardinals to try and acquire.  This got me thinking who are the possible suitors for Kolbs services?

Knowing what the Eagles are asking, taking into account the draft order and knowing there really is no franchise quarterback available at the top of the draft; the Eagles are in a pretty good position.  The top ten picks are:

1. Panthers
2. Broncos
3. Bills
4. Bengals
5. Cardinals
6. Browns
7. 49ers
8. Titans
9. Cowboys
10. Redskins

These are the teams we can rule out right of the top.  Obviously we have to rule out the Redskins at 10, the Skins benched the franchise quarterback the Eagles sent them last year.  I don't think they want to go back to that well anytime soon.  The Cowboys are set with Tony Romo at 9.  I am going to cautiously eliminate the Browns at 6, I think they saw enough promise in Colt McCoy last season to give him a solid shot.  Lastly we can eliminate the Broncos at 2, they have Tim Tebow (who has a side job as the lead singer of Mumford and Sons) and Kyle Orton. 

That leaves us with the following possibilities.  The Panthers I do not see giving up the number one Pick in the draft for Kevin Kolb.  They took Jimmy Clausen last season and will probably give him every opportunity they can next season.  The only possibility here would be their first pick in round two, but I still do not see that happening.

The Bills are a solid possibility.  With the third pick they could take Blaine Gabbert from Missouri.  There is a big question mark here.  Yes he has NFL size at 6-5 and 235lbs, but he comes from a spread offense and needs to prove he can transition to an NFL style offense.  The Bills could trade this pick to the Eagles and get a guy that has proven he can play at this level.  They also may save some money here depending on the probable rookie wage scale.

The Bengals are intriguing at 4 because of the rumors surrounding Carson Palmer.  It would be nice if the Eagles could get this pick and Palmer in return for Kolb. 

The team that has been rumored as the most likely destination sits at 5, the Cardinals.  Larry Fitzgerald wants him and I think I could play better then any quarterback on their roster.  Why the Cardinals did not make a move for McNabb last season is a wonder.  McNabb spends his off seasons in Arizona, he is a proven franchise quarterback.  Instead they bring in the post Kurt Warner era with Derek Anderson, Richard Bartel and Max Hall.  They have another opportunity this season to make a trade with the Eagles for a guy that is better then anyone else they have on their roster.

Th 49ers at number 7 could be a possibility depending on how they handle the Alex Smith situation.  Again this could be a spot where the Eagles land the pick and a veteran quarterback in return.  The 49ers are a team that is a good quarterback away from being able to win a weak division, Kolb could be their guy.

Last the Titans at number 8 are in need of a new quarterback.  Vince Young will be gone and Kerry Collins can not play forever.  After Vince Young burned them, I am not sure that the Titian's are willing to spend this pick on another rookie quarterback. 

All of this being said, I realize that to fetch a top ten pick for a guy that has started seven games in his career is a long shot.  The Eagles seem to think that he is worth it and a first round pick next year as well.  If they could not get a first round pick for McNabb last season, I will be amazed if a team is willing to do it for Klolb this season, but there is always a possibility, we will have to wait and see.