Calais Campbell wasn't a fan of the hideous merry-go-round at quarterback that sunk last year's Arizona Cardinals.
In a riff unlikely to please Kevin Kolb, among others, the defensive lineman talked up the difference Carson Palmer will make in 2013.
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"I think it's very likely we can win the division, yes," Campbell told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman. "I respect every opponent in our division. Every one. But I think of it this way. We were able to hang in a bunch of our division games without a real quarterback.
"I don't want to disrespect anyone but now we have a real quarterback to go with a good defense. When we play with a lead, we're hard to beat. This is the first time in years that we have an offense that matches our defense."
That depends on if you see Palmer, at age 33, as a guy who can topple the nasty NFC West. He was sneaky productive on a horrid Oakland Raiders team last season, throwing for 4,018 yards, but Palmer will be tested against the stingy Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.
The Cardinals remain a long shot in the West, but Campbell's right -- watching Kolb give way to John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer was akin to witnessing a 53-person vehicle slam into a brick wall. Over. And over. And over.
Palmer's worth a shot.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
