Posted by Will Brinson



Ever since Oakland sent (potentially) two first-round picks to Cincinnati in order to acquire Carson Palmer, there's been a fierce debate about whether or not they paid too much.

One of the reasons for concern is that many a pundit believes Palmer lost some the zing off his throw. An elbow surgery injury in 2008 coincides with the last time he averaged more than seven yards per attempt as well an obvious decline in production; his numbers in 2009 and 2010 aren't close to his 2005 and 2006 numbers, when he was arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

But Hue Jackson, the man who green-lit the deal to acquire Palmer, isn't trying to hear any of that business. In fact, he says Palmer's slinging the rock around like it was the good old days.

The Kansas City Chiefs will battle the Oakland Raiders this Sunday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Which team has the advantage? NFL.com's Pat Kirwan joins Jason Horowitz to preview this AFC West matchup. Watch the game at 4:05 PM ET on CBS.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Jackson said about the speculation that Palmer lost strength and velocity. "He’s throwing the ball like you wouldn’t believe. Trust me, if he’s out there -- I mean, we wouldn’t have signed him if he couldn’t throw.

"I get surprised at those kinds of questions because I would never put the guy on the team or [trade] draft picks like that if he couldn’t throw the ball or he could not do or be what I think he has the potential to be."

Palmer to the Raiders

Chiefs-Raiders Pregame Freeman: Two No. 1's is a great deal for Cincy Brinson: Winners, losers in Carson Palmer trade Podcast: Would Al Davis have approved? Doyel: Somehow stubborn Mike Brown wins Prisco: Palmer deal makes Raiders playoff team

Of course, everyone else is surprised because it seemed obvious that Palmer's skills declined after his elbow injury. And because Jackson gave up big-time draft picks in order to land him.

It might not matter; Palmer's an upgrade over Kyle Boller if he goes under the knife tomorrow. And as bad as everyone feels for Jason Campbell, Palmer's an upgrade over him too, even though he missed the first six weeks of the season.

But none of that is important -- Palmer can throw for 4,000 yards, or he can throw for 400, but if the Raiders don't make the playoffs this year or next, after giving up the pair of picks they did, then they lost the deal.

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It may not look like it above, but everybody's happy ... for now. (AP/US PRESSWIRE)

Posted by Ryan Wilson

Plenty of people (us included) thought that two first-round picks* was a steep price to pay for a quarterback who has been on his couch for eight months, and was last considered elite in 2005.

But Carson Palmer is now an Oakland Raider, and despite just a week of practice, he appears set to start against the Chiefs Sunday. And, yes, two first-rounders for a 31-year-old QB whose best days seemed behind him reeks of desperation, but Palmer's completely healthy, and he even took a pay cut to play for Oakland. Not so much because he's a swell guy and was willing to do anything to get out of Cincinnati (though that may have had something to do with it), but because Palmer's deal, as currently written, wasn't going to fit under the Raiders' salary cap.

Under his old contract (the one that would pay him $118 million and so incensed Bengals fans when Palmer "retired"), Palmer was set to earn $11.5 million. He instead restructured his contract and took a $5 million pay cut this season, an NFLPA source told ESPN's Adam Schefter Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will battle the Oakland Raiders this Sunday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Which team has the advantage? NFL.com's Pat Kirwan joins Jason Horowitz to preview this AFC West matchup. Watch the game at 4:05 PM ET on CBS. Also: don't forget to check out the Pregame: Chiefs-Raiders edition.

More details via Schefter's report: "They did guarantee $5 million of his $12.5 million salary next season, but nobody thought the Raiders would have parted ways with him when they surrendered two draft picks to the Bengals. Palmer is scheduled to make $12.5 million next season, $13 million in 2013 and $15 million in 2014. But Palmer will make $5 million less this season."

* Technically, the Raiders got Palmer for a 2012 first-round pick and a 2013 second-rounder that would become a first-rounder if Oakland makes the AFC title game this postseason.

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Posted by Will Brinson



The Carson Palmer era is underway already -- the newly-acquired quarterback will reportedly start for the Raiders this Sunday.

Palmer was traded from Cincinnati to Oakland on Tuesday for a pair of early-round picks (at least a 2012 first-rounder) and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Wednesday that the Raiders will give Palmer the start against the Chiefs in Week 7, just five days after acquiring him.

[Should Palmer start Sunday? Chat Live Now!]

The decision to roll with Palmer is interesting, albeit not shocking. As we've covered before, the quarterback depth chart for the Raiders, sans Palmer, looks like this: Kyle Boller, Terrelle Pryor, Shane Lechler. (And as we've said before: Yikes.)

Palmer to the Raiders

Freeman: Two No. 1's is a great deal for Cincy Brinson: Winners, losers in Carson Palmer trade Podcast: Would Al Davis have approved? Doyel: Somehow stubborn Mike Brown wins Prisco: Palmer deal makes Raiders playoff team

Palmer's familiar with Hue Jackson's scheme as he worked with Jackson in Cincinnati, and Palmer will get three days to work with the first-team offense. Additionally, the Raiders have a guy that's arguably the best running back in the NFL in Darren McFadden leading the NFL's second-best rushing attack, as Oakland averages 160 rushing yards per game.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, surrender 119.6 rushing yards per game (21st in the NFL).

Ultimately, the Raiders decision hinges on this: does Palmer, with a limited playbook and only five days to get integrated with their team, give them a better chance to win against Kansas City than Boller does?

Jackson clearly believes that he does.

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Posted by Will Brinson



Now that Carson Palmer day is over and he's finally found a home in Oakland, it's time to solemnly reflect on the importance of this deal and wonder whether or not Palmer can step in and start for the Raiders right away.

Or we could break down Hue Jackson calling it the "greatest trade in football." What?

"We were able to put together what I think is probably the greatest trade in football, in my opinion," Jackson said. "Obviously, I think everybody knows that we needed to go out and address our quarterback situation."

OK, look it was a great trade. And I don't mean "we bamboozled a team and got superb value" great, or "the biggest names in football involved blockbuster" great. I mean "where the hell did that come from and man that's crazy but they gave up WHAT?" great. That's great for the media and fans and blowing up everyone's Tuesday, but I'm not sure it's great for the Raiders.



We'll know that when Palmer gets on the field. Which leads us to wonder when, exactly, that will happen. Because Jackson was asked Tuesday if Palmer could start as early as Sunday versus the Chiefs, but declined to give an answer.

Palmer to the Raiders

Freeman: Two No. 1's is a great deal for Cincy Brinson: Winners, losers in Carson Palmer trade Podcast: Would Al Davis have approved? Doyel: Somehow stubborn Mike Brown wins Prisco: Palmer deal makes Raiders playoff team

"You think I’m going to tell you that right now?" Jackson said to reporters on Tuesday. "You know me a little bit better than that. OK, you do try. All you guys try; I’m not going to let that out of the bag just yet but you guys be ready for anything from me. I think you know that.

"We’ll see as we continue to move through the week exactly where we are."

This weekend is a perfect time for the Raiders to have an impossible decision -- the Chiefs are 2-3, thanks to wins against the Colts and Vikings, are now just 2-3, and need this game badly to get back into the AFC West race.

Playing Kyle Boller will benefit them, and they'll probably end up getting to play against him -- expecting Palmer to be ready to start five days after being traded to Oakland just seems too crazy to be real.

But we also said the same thing about the Raiders trading for him in the first place.

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Posted by Will Brinson



On Tuesday, Oakland shocked the world by dealing two first-round draft picks -- a 2012 first-rounder and a 2013 conditional first-rounder -- for Carson Palmer, retired Bengals quarterback.

Though the Raiders success will determine the long-term winners in this deal, we're prepared to make some knee-jerk reactions right now anyway.

(Ed. Note: We'll have a live chat with Pete Prisco, Mike Freeman, Clark Judge, Will Brinson, Ryan Wilson and Josh Katzowitz starting at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow -- set a reminder below and join us.)


WINNERS
Mike Brown -- I've been on record as saying Brown was a fool for letting Palmer get older without getting something in return for him, despite the fact that he's had ample opportunities to get a significant bounty -- see: the Cardinals overpaying for Kevin Kolb -- in return for someone who refused to play for his team. But this? This is highway robbery. This is Brown pulling off something no one saw coming and making his team better in the long run. Kudos to him for this.

Carson Palmer -- Guess Mike Brown *technically* caved to his demands huh? Sure, Brown would have been a damn fool to pass up what the Raiders gave, but Palmer's now released from the control of Brown and the Bengals and he gets to play football again. Plus, he's doing it for a team that's a contender, a coach he likes and knows, and he has a pile of weapons available that don't spend their time away from the field filming VH-1 shows.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore -- Put quite simply, they're not going to spend the rest of the year getting speared over the middle and/or trying not to have their ankles broken by a bunch of short-hoppers from Kyle Boller.


Hue Jackson -- Not because he gave up two first-rounders for Palmer. That was dumb. But it appears that Jackson's got the trust of everyone in the Raiders organization, since they just let him peddle the future of the franchise (two first-rounders) for a 31-year-old quarterback.

Jordan Palmer -- Guess who will "earn a backup job with the Raiders" come 2012? Yup, Carson's little bro (who, by the way, I loved at UTEP) is a lock to be holding Kyle Boller's clipboard next season.

LOSERS

Jason Campbell -- He's now most likely played his final snap as a Oakland Raider and that means Campbell will be moving on to yet another offensive coordinator on yet another team. Few first-round quarterbacks have gotten as raw a deal as Campbell in terms of how they've been handled; ironically, he only needs to land in Cincinnati to hit the trifecta of dysfunctional franchises.

Oakland's Next General Manager -- The Raiders' first pick will likely be a compensatory pick near the third round in 2012, thanks to letting Nnamdi Asomugha leave for Philly. But their technical first pick right now is a fifth-rounder. Which means that whatever GM steps into fill Al Davis' shoes better really like a) not working in April and b) Carson Palmer.


Carson Palmer -- Yes, the classic winner and loser move! But hear me out: though Palmer is, as I wrote above, now released, he's also no longer getting to play golf every day and get drunk at USC tailgates on Saturdays. And yeah, he's in a position to make a run at the playoffs, but if he stinks in Oakland, things are going to get awkward for him with the fans and management. There's a lot of pressure.

Palmer to the Raiders

Freeman: Two No. 1's is a great deal for Cincy Brinson: Winners, losers in Carson Palmer trade Podcast: Would Al Davis have approved? Doyel: Somehow stubborn Mike Brown wins Prisco: Palmer deal makes Raiders playoff team

San Diego Chargers -- They're currently 4-1 and the rest of the division was about to be starting Matt Cassel, Tim Tebow and Kyle Boller ... respectively. Without the Raiders making a move, the Chargers were going to waltz to a division title. Now they've got some stiffer competition -- if Palmer can get back his old mojo, Oakland could absolutely challenge for the AFC West crown.

Denver Broncos -- What the hell did they want for Orton exactly? You can't call the Raiders and say "give us a fourth-rounder and he's yours?" Wouldn't Oakland have done that in a heartbeat versus the deal they needed to get a 31-year-old Palmer who costs way more and isn't just a one-year rental? Are the Broncos actually going to play Orton? What is going on there? I thought Josh McDaniels left.

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Posted by Will Brinson



One of the names I mentioned in Sorting the Sunday Pile for the Raiders in their search to replace Jason Campbell was retired Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. But even though the Raiders were reportedly trying to get Palmer, it seemed a highly unlikely end result, given the stubborn nature of Cincy owner Mike Brown.

But Oakland found a way to pry Palmer away from the Bengals, dealing a 2012 first-round draft pick and a 2013 conditional first-round pick to the Bengals for the no-longer-retired quarterback. Reports indicate that the 2013 conditional pick is a first-round pick only if Oakland wins at least one playoff game.

CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman confirms that the trade -- as originally reported by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports -- is a done deal. Glazer noted that Hue Jackson's close relationship with Brown -- Jackson was the former wide receivers coach in Cincinnati -- helped grease the wheels.

What likely helped grease the wheels more? The first-round draft pick that the Raiders gave the Bengals ... because they had to. As Ryan noted yesterday, the Raiders aren't exactly stocked with draft picks these days, having already given up their second-, fourth- and seventh-round picks in trades, and used their third-round pick on Terrelle Pryor.

Palmer to the Raiders

Freeman: Two No. 1's is a great deal for Cincy Brinson: Winners, losers in Carson Palmer trade Podcast: Would Al Davis have approved? Doyel: Somehow stubborn Mike Brown wins Prisco: Palmer deal makes Raiders playoff team

In other words, the Raiders only had one real pick of value in 2012 to give up, and they were apparently willing to move it in order to make themselves a contender for the remainder of the year.

More than anything, though, Mike Brown deserves a tremendous round of applause for absolutely crushing this scenario with Palmer. He called the quarterback's bluff, refused to deal the quarterback, landed a new franchise guy in Andy Dalton, and then when a team got really desperate, received two first-round picks in exchange.

The conditional pick is likely something that involves the Raiders making the postseason and/or riding Palmer to the Super Bowl; at least one would hope anyway. Otherwise, Oakland has, once again, undervalued draft picks.

It's worth noting, though, that the Raiders are anticipating a slew of compensatory draft picks in 2012, because free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery and Thomas Howard all departed the Bay Area.

Also worth noting: Jason Campbell's time as a Raider is now finished, for all intents and purposes. He's a free agent after this season and given the committment Oakland gave to Palmer plus Campbell's injury, it's hard to imagine him playing another snap for Oakland.

They are, at least now, all in on Carson Palmer.


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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

The options for the Raiders to solidify their quarterback position in the wake of losing Jason Campbell for the season with a broken collarbone is dwindling, but the Denver Post is reporting that another might have appeared quite quickly if the Broncos decide to trade Kyle Orton to Oakland.

It seems quite clear that Bengals owner Mike Brown is refusing to trade his former star Carson Palmer, and now, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer has the report that David Garrard -- who’s just been kind of hanging around after the Jaguars surprisingly cut him in the preseason -- needs immediate surgery on a herniated disk in his back.

But the Denver Post, via the Contra Costa Times, is reporting that an unnamed source has said the Broncos would be willing to trade Orton to the Raiders for a draft pick. Which makes sense if Denver is willing to go all-in with Tim Tebow (and at this point, why not?).

The news on Garrard is somewhat surprising, since we all kind of figured Garrard was just sitting back and waiting for the exact right offer to come to him.

Garrard supposedly could have gone to Miami after Chad Henne suffered a season-ending injury, but instead he declined, because as a Miami Herald source pointed out, “he simply didn't feel like playing right now. Garrard apparently talked to the team and showed no great desire to play. He is, according to this version of the story, quite content sitting out this season, spending time with his family, and hitting free agency next March.”

So, what now? Well, if Oakland could get Orton for a relatively cheap price, it probably should go for it. Even if it means the Raiders basically would be sitting out the 2012 draft.

But in order not to play Kyle Boller or Terrelle Pryor – or, for that matter, punter Shane Lechler – that might be worth it.

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Posted by Will Brinson

Despite the Bengals wealth of success so far in 2011 -- Andy Dalton looks good, Bruce Gradkowski's heaving touchdown passes to A.J. Green on random trick plays, you know, the usual -- the whole "What is Carson Palmer doing?" question still lingers given how much the retired quarterback might fetch on the trade market.

Well, here's an answer: he's staying in shape by working out with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and, according to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network, "has not closed the door on playing football."

Oh, and hanging out on USC campus, drinking beer (note the special edition red Bud Light can he's rocking, plus camo koozie) and watching football, according to a fella named "USC Psycho" who took a picture of Palmer kicking it at a Trojans tailgate on Saturday and posted it on Twitter.

Palmer, as you probably know, threatened to retire if the Bengals didn't trade him. Per LaCanfora, there were teams interested -- the Seahawks, the 49ers and the Dolphins, specifically -- approached the Bengals about Palmer's availability.

But Brown wouldn't budget, refused to trade Palmer, and now Carson's retired. As LaCanfora writes, in the event that Brown has "a change of heart" before the trade deadline, "Palmer will be ready."

That's pretty unlikely, given how Brown's handled the situation thus far. On the bright side, Palmer's life can't be all that horrible right now either.

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