Carson Palmer Finally Gets Trade, Heads To 4-2 Raiders

Carson Palmer Trade: 31-Year-Old Quarterback Headed To Raiders

Carson Palmer News: Vet to start anew with Oakland

For a minute there, it seemed like Carson Palmer had no choice but to go through an early and ugly forced retirement, as Cincinnati refused for months to trade the quarterback who vowed to never play for the Bengals again. Enter the Oakland Raiders, who haven’t been shy over the last couple days about needing a quarterback after Jason Campbell went down with a collarbone injury in Sunday’s win over the the Browns.

"If you’re a quarterback out there and you want to come play for the Raiders, give us a call," Oakland coach Hue Jackson said Monday. While Cincinnati’s own head coach Marvin Lewis had said as early as Monday that the team still would not trade Palmer, Oakland presented an offer they couldn’t refuse.

In exchange for Carson Palmer, the Raiders will send the Bengals a 2012 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2013 pick – which is said to be another first-rounder if Oakland wins one or more playoff games this season OR a second-rounder if they don’t win any playoff games. 

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This is a pretty smart move for both sides, as it’s clear Palmer was never going to suit up for the Bengals again, meaning the team never would have gotten anything out of him if they left him on the roster or waived him. Plus, their 35th-overall pick in the 2011 draft, Andy Dalton, has played well in the 31-year-old Palmer’s absence, guiding Cincinnati to a 4-2, second place start in the AFC North. Add in more early picks in the next two years, and this is a big win-win for the Bengals. 

For the Raiders, they really were desperate for a quarterback, as they had only backup Kyle Boller, who hasn’t started since 2009, and rookie Terrelle Pryor left to take snaps. They’ve started off the season well at 4-2, and need an experienced quarterback like Palmer to step in immediately and hopefully win games until Campbell is healthy.

The only scary thing about the trade for Oakland is the fact that they’re now without a pick for the upcoming draft’s first four rounds. They already dealt a 2012 second-rounder to New England to land third- and fourth-rounds in the 2011 draft, and also lost their 2012 third- and fourth-round picks in trades involving Terrelle Pryor and Jason Campbell.  

So, if you’re keeping track, Oakland has coughed up three picks in next April’s draft for three separate quarterbacks. Hopefully Palmer can fill in the present hole, Campbell can shift back in to the ultimate starting role, and maybe Pryor can be the quarterback one day in the future.

(Photo: Sports Illustrated)