Daryl Johnston on Kolb and NFC West champs

Aug 29, 2011, 9:41 PM | Updated: 11:35 pm

Former Dallas Cowboy great and current Fox NFL analyst Daryl Johnston likes the Arizona Cardinals’ pick up of Kevin Kolb, but isn’t convinced that the team will run away with NFC West crown.

“I’m a Kevin Kolb fan,” Johnston said to Arizona Sports 620’s Doug and Wolf on Monday. “I just like him, he’s mentally tough and has all the intangibles you would want. I thought it was a very good pick up for Arizona.”

Johnston believes the move will benefit wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald most.

“You had to do something for Larry,” Johnston said. “He’s too dynamic of a player not to have somebody under center that’s going to give him the opportunity to be as productive as he can be.”

With the addition of Kolb the Cardinals have become legitimate contenders for the title in a division Johnston thinks is any team’s to take.

“Well I see a division that is really up for grabs,” Johnston said. “San Francisco is in a huge state of transition right now and Pete Carroll is in year two of his transition and then you got Steve Spagnuolo who’s only been there four years in St. Louis. So everybody is relatively young.”

The key, according to Johnston, will be if the Cardinals will be able to establish consistency. If not, Johnston sees the greatest threat to the Cardinals will come from the St. Louis Rams, with second year QB Sam Bradford and a strong defense leading the way.

“I think it’s a question of how quickly does Kevin Kolb gel with everything out there calling the plays,” Johnston said, “but I think it’s going to come down to those two teams at the end of the year.”

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