Eagles trade Kolb to Cardinals, get CB Rodgers-Cromartie and draft pick has 0 comments

Jul 29th 2011, 00:20 | FFN-Score: 25 points

Kevin Kolb is headed to the desert. And he'll most likely be there for a long time.

The Philadelphia Eagles sent the quarterback to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday in exchange for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and an second-round draft pick, NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi reported.

The Eagles later confirmed the deal and said they were sending a 2012 second-round pick to Arizona.

As part of the deal, Kolb agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $63.5 million with $21 million guaranteed, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.

Kolb won't be allowed to practice with the Cardinals until Aug. 4, the same day that any incoming veteran free agents would first be allowed to work out.

Kolb has openly talked about his desire to play for Arizona, saying it would be a good fit. The quarterback, who turns 27 next month, has appeared in 19 games, with seven starts in the last two seasons. He has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards and 11 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

Poor play at quarterback was a major component in Arizona's dropoff from two-time NFC West champion to a 5-11 season last year. The team is set to release quarterback Derek Anderson on Thursday, and coach Ken Whisenhunt had emphasized that the Cardinals were aggressively seeking a veteran at the position.

Kolb began last season as the heir apparent to Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, but he went down with a concussion in the opener, losing his job to Vick in the process. Kolb did have a couple of strong performances after that when Vick was hurt. Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, Kolb completed 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

In Rodgers-Cromartie, the Eagles receive a capable starter to pair with Pro Bowler Asante Samuel in the backfield. Rodegers-Cromartie has started all but five games for the Cardinals since he was drafted in the first round (16th overall) in 2008. He has recorded 13 interceptions and three forced fumbles in that time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.