When the Arizona Cardinals didn't select a quarterback in the NFL draft last weekend, it signaled to the rest of the league that they want to land a veteran signal-caller when a labor agreement is reached and free agency begins.
According to KHTK-TV in Phoenix, the Cardinals have targeted Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton.
The TV station cited a team source in reporting Thursday that the Cardinals have reached out to the Broncos about the availability of the six-year veteran, who's scheduled to start ahead of Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn.
The Cardinals and Broncos haven't had serious discussions, according to the source, because Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb is still No. 1 on the Cardinals' wish list. The Broncos believe the Cardinals are interested in Orton as their "Plan B" in case a deal for Kolb cannot be completed.
The Cardinalsaren't interested in Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, The Arizona Republic reported Thursday.
The Cardinals fell to 5-11 last season after the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, including one Super Bowl. Arizona's offense struggled behind a rotation of Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall.
Skelton, who was 60-of-126 passing for 662 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in four starts last season, recently told *The Arizona Republic* that he's not worried about which other quarterbacks will be at training camp when it opens.
"The coaching staff has been honest with me all along," he said. "They've said, 'No matter who we bring in, whether it's through the draft or free agency, we just want you to compete.' I'm sure they're going to be scrambling hard to find someone in free agency, so whoever it is, I'm just going to get in here and compete."
