With the passing of Al Davis many of us thought the Raiders organization would become more conservative with their player personnel moves. Nothing could be further from the truth. In a surprise move the Raiders traded two first round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer. The trade comes as a shock to most observers since Bengals owner Mike Brown vowed to let Carson Palmer rot in a vat of his own fecal material rather than grant his trade request. I guess two first round picks was an offer he couldn't refuse. Did the Raiders make a wise decision?
Absolutely not. Everyone knows Carson Palmer is damaged goods and has been a shell of his former self since suffering a serious knee injury a few years back. Surrounded by talent like Terrell Owens, Chad Ocho Cinco, and Cedric Benson Palmer had one of the worst quarterback ratings in the league last year. It is unrealistic to expect Palmer to return to his former greatness.
The Raiders are known for taking risks on players that have a shaky past but that technique hasn't worked in quite some time. To be fair coach Hue Jackson recruited Palmer to USC and coached him at Cincinnati so the relationship between the two of them is solid. That doesn't mean he is the answer to the Raiders playoff hopes however.
I'm pulling for the guy, but history has shown us you can't turn water into wine in the NFL. Once the skills are gone they're gone forever. Perhaps a change of scenery will do Carson Palmer some good, but my guess is he will flop miserably. Good luck Carson.
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