Ideas to finalize Eagles-Cardinals trade

AT THIS POINT, I'll be a little surprised if the Eagles don't trade Kevin Kolb to Arizona in a deal that involves Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Obviously, nothing can be done until the NFL resumes business, which could happen by the end of the week, probably not before. There is still time for some other team to jump in with a breathtaking offer. But that's unlikely. Everybody working in the league really hasn't been in a state of suspended animation for 6 months; the teams that want Kolb have known for a while that they want him, and they've known what they are willing to give. You can be pretty sure the Eagles know those things, too. More and more, I think Kolb for Rodgers-Cromartie, essentially, is going to be the trade that gets done.

My understanding is that the Eagles have a high regard for Rodgers-Cromartie, the 16th player taken in the 2008 draft, and that the Cards have a high regard for Kolb, who has been NFC offensive player of the week twice in seven career starts. I also understand the Eagles are ready to do the deal if they can get something else thrown in, most likely a draft pick. That's the possible rub - reporters in Arizona tell me the Cards might be leery of tossing in anything else, given that Rodgers-Cromartie is a proven starter and Kolb is not.

Fair point. But again, Arizona, you didn't draft a quarterback this spring. Your team, in the Super Bowl just a few years ago, was 5-11 in 2010, and not having a real QB was a major reason. If you've decided to go after Kolb instead of drafting someone, you're convinced he's a starting-quality QB. (Yes, you could trade for Kyle Orton instead. Good luck with that.)

Hey, tie the extra draft pick to Kolb's success level. Fourth-rounder that becomes a second-rounder if Kolb makes the Pro Bowl this season or reaches certain statistical criteria. Fourth-rounder and some other conditional draft pick in 2013. Or maybe the Eagles give you their fourth and you give back a second. Point is, Kolb and Rodgers-Cromartie are the key elements. Figuring out a draft pick to throw in is, to borrow Jerry Jones' evocative description of the final details of the lockout settlement, "circumsizing mosquitoes."