Kolb, Skelton, Manning? Cardinals QB will have to earn the job

Kevin Kolb started last season as Arizona’s quarterback,
while John Skelton finished the year with the job.

Whoever begins the 2012 season in that role — be it Kolb,
Skelton or maybe some guy named Manning — you better
believe they will have earned the job.

“Will there be a competition,” Cardinals coach Ken
Whisenhunt said at the NFL Draft Scouting Combine in
Indianapolis. “Obviously I think John did a great job for
us over the last half of the season when he was forced to
play because of Kevin’s injury, and that’s what you want –
– he did the job that we asked him to do.”

Whisenhunt said having the entire offseason to work with
Skelton, which is something they have not had through the
QB’s first two seasons in the league, will go a long way
towards helping him become a better quarterback. Combine
that with minicamps and more reps in training camp, and
Whisenhunt said there is reason to be excited about the
young QB’s future.

“That being said, we didn’t get a great opportunity to see
a lot of Kevin because of the injuries this year, but in
the snapshots of times that we did see him we were excited
about what we saw,” Whisenhunt said. “So, I think John’s
earned the ability to be given consideration for the
position, just because of what he did and his record and
the way he played, but I also think that we’ve got a lot
invested in Kevin as well for that position.

“There’s nothing wrong with competition. I think it makes
both players — all players — better.”

So as of now the plan is to roll with either Kolb or
Skelton under center, but things are subject to change
depending on who may or may not become available in the
coming weeks.

And one has to think if the team has a chance to acquire a
certain soon-to-be former Colts QB, they’ll do their best
to make it happen. Not because the team is unhappy with
its current signal callers, but rather because they’d
always be ready to improve the team.

“Everybody out there associated with our team understands
that this is a competitive game and we’re all looking to
get better, so if those opportunities present themselves
then so be it,” Cardinals GM Rod Graves said. “But
otherwise we’ve got an outstanding group of quarterbacks
with us right now, we believe we can win with those
quarterbacks and we’re preparing as if they’re going to be
the group that we’re working with.

“We’ll see what other opportunities present themselves if
that happens.”

Indeed we shall.

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