Over the last couple of weeks, it's come out that Larry Fitzgerald wants the Cardinals to bring in a veteran QB. If they don't make some sort of significant upgrade there, they stand to risk losing one of the best wide receivers in the NFL after this year. He becomes a free agent after the 2011 season, and he has said over and over that he wants to be on a winner.
It came out in the last few days that he'd like Kevin Kolb to be their next signal caller. Kolb has now reciprocated that interest. Kolb has said for the last few months that he wants to start somewhere. In my opinion, he is good enough to do so on a significant number of teams. Arizona is certainly one of those teams. Will the Cards make the move? As a Seahawks fan, I sure hope not. The idea of a game-ready and game-tested QB to pair with Fitzgerald in the desert doesn't make me comfortable. I don't think that the Cardinals are one key player away from becoming Superbowl contenders again, but it would definitely put them back on track to contend for the meagre NFC West title again.
I would much rather have them flounder about, testing out unproven and young QBs with 2010-esque disastrous results for the next 5-10 years. That probably won't happen though, as it's now Ken Wisenhunt's contract year. He'll most likely try and bring in an immediate impact veteran QB and try to save his job.
Now, Kevin Kolb has all but been anointed as the next big thing at QB by some media and it has been rumored that he could fetch a 2nd or even a 1st rd pick in exchange. He did play pretty well in a few starts this year, most notably his 23 for 29, 326 yard, 3TD to 1 INT performance against a formidable Falcons team.
But he also had a few terrible games as well, the lowlight being the Eagles' final game where he completed just 50% of his passes (18-36) for 162 yrds, 1 TD and 3 INTs. His total numbers for the year ended up as an underwhelming 60.8% completions (115-189) for 1197 yards, 7TDs to 7 INTs, with a QB rating of 76.1. These numbers aren't terrible, but aren't exactly eye-popping either.
Where he ends up is going to be one the of the interesting storylines of this offseason. He's been rumored to basically all the teams that need a QB - notably the Vikings, 49'ers, Titans, Bills, Redskins, Cardinals, and yes, the Seahawks.
Question is: do the Hawks want him? I'd say that yes, he could definitely be a good fit in Seattle. He's shown the ability to lead, show no fear, and make all the passes necessary. He's athletic, poised in the pocket, and could come in and start on day one. But for a 1st rounder? I just don't know if it would be worth the cost. To me, he is still a big question mark; he doesn't have much of a track record, and what he does have is inconsistent. On the other hand, Seattle did give up their 3rd Round draft pick and swapped 2nd round picks with San Diego for third string backup Charlie Whitehurst, who had ZERO track record.
The obvious question this offseason is: Does Seattle continue on the track they are on with Whitehurst, or do they cut their losses and look elsewhere? That is something I'll address later in more detail, but for the sake of discussion, I'll assume that Hasselbeck/Whitehurst will not be our starting QB at the start of the 2011 season.
Would Seattle be willing to give up their 2nd round pick for Kolb? This, only Pete/John know. Of course, there are possibly going to be teams out there that will give up their 1st round pick for a player like Kolb. In my opinion, at this stage in the game, I just don't see the Hawks making a move for Kolb. I will detail some other options they could have this offseason at the Quarterback position, holding the assumption that Hasselbeck will sign elsewhere, and the front office has lost faith in Charlie Whitehurst.
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