When teams make trades, we like to go back and see who "won." When the Arizona Cardinals traded for quarterback Kevin Kolb, one of the biggest criticisms was that they gave up too much. In hindsight, the transaction probably was a loss for everyone involved.
It was bad for the Cardinals because they paid him a ton of money (over $20M in two years) and he couldn't stay healthy. They also gave up a a guy that was a quality player in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round pick. While DRC was not much of an impact player in Philadelphia, the pick could have come in nicely last year.
As for the Eagles, DRC really did nothing. Plus, after Kolb left, Michael Vick struggled with effectiveness and injuries, too. You have to imagine that they would have loved to have had Kolb to step in and play in a system he had already shown promise in. And that draft pick they got? They traded that to move down and got a fourth rounder to go with it. The second round pick was defensive end Vinny Curry, who played little in 2012. The fourth rounder they acquired was cornerback Brandon Boykin, who played all season and was actually decent. According to Bleeding Green Nation's JasonB, "Boykin was arguably the Eagles best corner last season, but that isn't exactly saying much given how bad the starters were."
As for Kolb himself, he probably would have been better off in Philly. He would not have gotten the same amount of money, but as for football, had he not been traded, he might have won the starting job there back. He would not have had to learn a new offensive system and, while Philly's line was bad, it was not Cardinals bad. His toe injury, concussion and detached ribs? Maybe they don't happen.
Might everyone involved have been better off never making the trade? With the exception of Kolb's bank account, you can definitely make the case.