Raiders Trade For Carson Palmer

Added on Oct 18, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

It didn’t take the Oakland Raiders long to find a replacement for Jason Campbell, who they lost to a broken collarbone on Sunday. And the new quarterback in town is the biggest name on the market: Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer. The Bengals have agreed to ship their disgruntled/retired signal-caller to the Black Hole for a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional future draft pick.

The deal makes perfect sense for both sides. Oakland gets a former franchise quarterback and the Bengals stockpile a pair of draft picks to help rebuild their roster. Both teams are a surprising 4-2 this season and each is in position to make a run at the playoffs.

Palmer made it known he wanted out of Cincinnati after a disastrous 4-12 season in 2010 which saw him toss a career high 20 interceptions. He issued an ultimatum to owner Mike Brown to trade him or he would retire. Brown didn’t blink, telling Palmer he should honor the contract he signed.

Brown solidified his stance by drafting Andy Dalton in April to be the new starting quarterback. Through six starts, Dalton has thrown for 1,311 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. More importantly, the team is winning games.

As for Palmer, he’ll get a chance to resume his stalled career. In eight years with the Bengals, he guided them to two postseason appearances but never advanced past the Wildcard round. He also suffered a debilitating elbow injury that caused him to miss twelve games in 2008. He returned in 2009, but appeared to have lost some of his signature arm strength.

It remains to be seen how much the 31-year-old can offer his new employers. He hasn’t practiced or played in ten months and will have to learn a new offense quickly. The good news is the Raiders are on a bye in Week 8 which should give Palmer extra time to absorb the playbook.

Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday. Backup Kyler Boller is expected to start.

Source: NFL.com