Seems like a card that supports ADAT is the best option. There's a quite cheap Steinberg soundcard on the market, and linked together with a Behringer ADAT interface you won't run out of inputs within the near future.

XLR inputs are usually associated with mic pre amps ... so to have a card with XLRs would mean that it most likely had mic inputs. A simple card with XLRs would have a "breakout" cable with XLRs ... very kludgy and IMO not very robust or reliable. It's a drag to be fussing around behind the computer all the time and after some use, I could see one of these "breaklout" cables developing shorts. Most soundcards have these "breakout" cables or employ an interface box ... I prefer cards that use the interface box approach because all the in and out connections are on the box. I feel this is much more suited to the demands of connecting and disconecting mics and line ins and outs that a studio enviornment requires. Unless you are going to make the connections once and then never touch them again, I would go with a card / box combination for the sake of long term reliability.

One good solution as mentioned would be a card that employs ADAT ins and outs.. these are multi channel digital in and outs on optical connectors. Alesis makes the AI3 that sells for about $400 street price. I uses 2 of these with the Dakota card from Frontier and it has been great. There are other newer cards available now that support 96 k sample rates as well. The only thing is the AI3 (and others) only has 1/4" trs line inputs, not XLRs.

If you want mic pres built into your interface, the Aardvark Q10 is a great soulution. This is a sound card and interface box combination that has 8 real ok mic / line pres and a host of other line in and outs all in a one space rack mount box.