Guess what? We can’t call the Arizona Cardinals cheap anymore. In fact many will say they’re being downright frivolous.

That’s because the franchise decided to send former Pro Bowl cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round pick to Philadelphia for the right to sign quarterback Kevin Kolb to a lucrative long term deal (rumored to be 5-years, $63 million with $22 million guaranteed). It’s the NFL’s version of a midlife crisis. After things began to go downhill, the Cardinals reacted by buying the most expensive thing in sight.

Despite some fans and media members complaining about what it cost to acquire their quarterback of the future, it was the right move for the Cardinals. Just like when you go to McDonalds, shopping off the ‘value menu’ in the NFL is something you’ll pay for later. The Cards tried it last year — and let’s be honest, for a majority of the team’s history — and it cost them in the long run, giving them a season that was a complete waste.

For the first time since the team moved to the Valley, the Cards made the aggressive move. They landed the biggest available name and also added a quarterback who could be around for longer than a three or four year stint (something very few people who have played the position for them can claim). They identified their man and did whatever it took to get him. For that you have to applaud Ken Whisenhunt’s team.

Was the price higher than many of us would like? Of course. (Then again, so are most things in life worth having). If the Cardinals could have added Kolb for a second round pick without giving up a defensive back with a world’s worth of potential, everyone except the Eagles would have been happier. The thing is, you can’t just look at it as a deal for Kolb alone.

The acquisition sets the tone for the rest of the moves the Cards will make this offseason (or should I say over the next 48 hours). If they go out and sign a veteran cornerback as good as or better than DRC will anyone really still be upset with including him in the deal? If the addition of Kolb helps add another quality wide receiver that they wouldn’t otherwise have acquired, doesn’t that make that second round pick worth giving up?

If that’s not enough for you, here’s what really puts the deal into perspective. If the Cardinals announce they’ve signed Larry Fitzgerald to a multi-year extension anytime between now and the end of the season, doesn’t that make the price to obtain Kolb seem significantly less steep?

What the entire deal boils down to is the fact that the Cardinals rolled the dice and traded a cornerback with a number of question marks and a complete unknown in an early round draft pick in order to try and solidify their future. If in the end they get a potential franchise quarterback and retain the face of your franchise in Fitzgerald — not to mention any other players that come to the Valley because they added Kolb — for what was sent to Philadelphia, it’s a massive win for Arizona no matter what else happens.

Complain all you want but there is one thing all Cardinal fans can agree on. At least we won’t have to watch Derek Anderson in 2011.

The Cardinals can no longer be considered cheap. Let’s just hope when it’s all said and done we can’t call them stupid.

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