Kevin Kolb and the Buffalo Bills both entered this offseason desperately seeking fresh starts.
The Bills had limped to another last-place finish in the AFC East with the frustratingly average Ryan Fitzpatrick under center while Kolb, once thought to be Arizona’s quarterback of the future, played in just six games for a Cardinals team that dropped 11 of its final 12 games.
Now, it appears the two parties will be helping each other out, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Kolb plans to finalize a deal Saturday night that will make him the new front-runner for the Bills’ starting job.
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Kolb enjoyed breakout success during his time in Philadelphia but was never able find a groove in Glendale, as injuries and inconsistency limited him to just 15 games over the last two seasons.
Though rosters are never set in April (see: Matt Flynn in Seattle), Kolb — barring injury — is now the prohibitive favorite to be Buffalo’s Week 1 starter. Tavaris Jackson and undrafted free agent Aaron Corp represent the only competition for the spot on the team’s current roster.
It will be interesting to see what effect this signing has on Buffalo’s draft plans, though. The Bills hold the eighth overall pick, and many experts suspect they’ll use that pick to draft their next quarterback. That list includes NESN.com NFL editor Luke Hughes, who has the team selecting West Virginia’s Geno Smith in his latest mock draft.
Update: Adam Caplan of PhiladelphiaEagles.com and The Sideline View cites a source saying that Kolb’s contract will be a two-year deal worth $13 million.
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