Most people would agree that the Eagles got the better part of the deal when they traded quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick. But as Eagles coach Andy Reid prepares to play against Kolb on Sunday, he’s not gloating about winning that trade.
Instead, Reid is talking up Kolb as a good quarterback who made out well when the Cardinals agreed not only to trade for him, but to give him a five-year, $63 million contract.
"[H]e actually came in as a starter and signed a big contract,” Reid told the Philadelphia Daily News. “So he was able to take care of his family. For the rest of his life, he’s set. And he’s still a good football player.”
Reid is certainly right that Kolb is set for life, assuming he doesn’t do anything stupid with his money: That Cardinals contract, which included $21 million guaranteed, has already paid him enough to last many lifetimes.
What remains to be seen is whether Reid is right to call Kolb a good football player. Kolb is currently starting and playing reasonably well in Arizona, but he’s only starting because John Skelton got hurt, and Kolb still hasn’t proven that he can be a consistent starter in the NFL.
It’s nice that Reid says he’s happy for Kolb. But if he’s honest, he’d also say he’s happy he traded Kolb.
