Carson Palmer Trade Brings Long Term Quarterback Stability to Oakland Raiders

After reading many articles either bashing or praising the Carson Palmer trade I decided it was time to jump into the mix.  Now that the Raiders season is over, unfortunately, we must move on to 2012 and what it will bring for the silver and black.

I support the Palmer trade because after Jason Campbell went down for the year, there was no way Kyle Boller was going to keep the Raiders alive until Week 17.  I am pro-Palmer trade for a few more reasons here.

First of all, he has shown the critics that he can still throw the ball deep.  So what if he can't throw 80 yards from his knees; we don't need him to do that unless Hue Jackson likes that as a trick play.  It is fair to question the accuracy as his arm and chemistry with the fast receivers though as he did throw more interceptions than touchdowns.  That can be fixed by a lockout-free offseason of OTA's and a full training camp and preseason to work with his receivers.

Second, the Raiders don't need the draft picks.  First round picks have been like the Madden cover curse for the Raiders.  Darren McFadden is explosive, but he can't play 16 games.  Darrius Heyward-Bey made great third year strides but still had some drops late in the season and isn't the vertical threat he was drafted to be.  Rolando McClain has been caught up in legal trouble a couple times in Alabama and he isn't helping the run defense either.

On top of the bad luck with first round picks, the Raiders tend to strike gold after Round 1.  Stefen Wisniewski will anchor the offensive line better than Robert Gallery ever did.  Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford made contributions much quicker than Heyward-Bey did.  Lamar Houston is a much more impressive defensive end than Tyler Brayton was.  The last time the Raiders struck gold in the first round was their most controversial pick: Sebastian Janikowski.  Also, the Raiders will get compensation picks so their 2012 draft will have more than two picks.

My third and final reason ties into the title of the article.  Palmer is under contract for another three years, and he will be 35 when it expires.  He will likely be considering a real retirement by then, not his semi-retired phase we saw in Cincinnati.  

After these next three years, with Palmer retiring, the Raiders will need a new quarterback.  Enter Terrelle Pryor.  After learning the offense under Hue Jackson and being mentored by Palmer, Pryor can be the Raiders version of Aaron Rodgers.  Pryor will still be in his mid-20s by that time so he will have plenty to offer the franchise.

That is why this trade greatly benefits the Raiders for years to come.