Carson Palmer : If He Doesn't Perform In 2010/11, What's Next?

Now I am not going right out and saying that if Carson Palmer fails to perform this season that he is done for, instead speculating on a topic that many Cincinnati fans seem to have on their minds, me included.

Mike Brown is notorious for being an extremely loyal owner even in the face of constant disappointment, and so to assume that he would remove Carson Palmer would be wrong. Carson Palmer, regardless of whether he performs this year has a good few more seasons in him. Although, this offseason Mike Brown actually did the unthinkable and made some bold moves bringing in some big talent like Antonio Bryant and a little known player named Terrell...something? Could Mike Brown turn his back on Palmer after more disappointment? Who knows for certain, but lets do all that we can, speculate!

If it so happens that Carson Palmer fails to regain any of the fire that he had in 2005, it may be time to start planning for his departure in the coming years. If so where does Cincinnati go next, how do we keep this franchise growing and remaining strong? Or should we start to think about rebuilding from the ground up?

JT O'Sullivan

Is this the face of the franchise post-Palmer? In short, no.

J.T. O'Sullivan's stint with the Bengals marks his 9th NFL team. Which means J.T. has failed to lock down the starting job in eight previous cities.

If eight teams have let this QB come and go, then to make him your top guy would be nothing short of ridiculous. 

O'Sullivan has never looked particularly strong and it's hard to see him as a team leader, his preseason performance this year has been nothing spectacular for a second string QB and he has done very little to make himself stand out.

This is not to say that he hasn't been productive at all as he has helped to bring Cincinnati two preseason victories, but that's just it, it's the preseason.

At the end of the day it comes down to this, if Carson Palmer went down in week one would you place your confidence in JT O'Sullivan to get the job done? No.

Jordan Palmer

The chances of Jordan Palmer taking up the reigns of the Cincinnati Bengals once his big brother is done are remote. 

As of Week 16 in the 2009 season Jordan Palmer had thrown no touchdowns, 2 interceptions and passed for 41 yards and a QB rating of 25.3.

These numbers would even look poor in a Saturday afternoon pee-wee football league matchup.

It would be unlikely to see Jordan Palmer's two-year contract extended, and it would not come as a shock to see him cut very soon.

Jordan Palmer might be better off sticking to his electronics.

College Prospects

Could Cincinnati take a QB in the 2011 NFL Draft? I think it's quite likely.

If Carson Palmer's career is winding down, it would be the perfect time to get a top college prospect in behind him to learn the tools of the trade whilst he's still around. So who is there to choose from?

Jake Locker(pictured) out of Washington has continued to improve, with a growing completion percentage in each of the last three years. (47.3, 53.8, 58.2) He's looking like a top prospect to go off the board early come the draft.

Ryan Mallett of Arkansas is a monster. He has the size and the arm that most teams could only dream of. I think he is a great prospect for a team like Cincinnati, to have a big strong QB with a cannon for an arm in the fold would be perfect, especially when he would have a good few years of Palmers mentoring ahead of him. (2009 Stats: 30 TDs, 7 Ints, 3,624 yards)

Pat Devlin of the Blue Hens has the size and capability to make it in the NFL, throwing for 2,664 yards, 16 TDs and 9 Ints this previous year. Again like the others if he has an injury free season he could be a great draft prospect.

2011 Free Agent QBs - Mike Vick

I'm not saying Michael Vick could be the next long-term face of the franchise, as i am fully aware that he is only a year younger than Carson, meaning, he doesn't have a huge shelf life left either.

Instead, he could provide service as a replacement for Carson if we all lose faith in his ability altogether, but i still don't think Vick would be a significant improvement.

If nothing else, he would certainly fit in with Cincinnati's ethos of giving players who nobody else wants for various reasons a second chance.

Could Michael Vick provide a quick fix for Cincinnati? Could he inject something different into the offense? For me personally i think this is one felon too many for even the Cincinnati roster. Call me old fashioned but a QB should be a role model to the rest of the team i am a firm believer in that, he's done his bit for the community yes, but the wounds are still fresh.

2011 Free Agent QBs - Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck's contract is due to expire at the end of this season, and if he fails to find success he may be on his way out. The team seems to be set on a desire to get younger and Hasselbeck doesn't fit in with that logic.

With Cincinnati in 'Win Now' mode so to speak could they bring in Hasselbeck to get the job done? Would he really be that much of an improvement on Palmer?

He's taken his team to the Super Bowl but has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

With his age now 35, he would have to make a serious impact in his first season with the Bengals to really be worth the change, and i can't see it happening. Hasselbeck cannot provide the Bengals with anything that they don't already have. Next!

2011 Free Agent QBs - Tom Brady & Peyton Manning

Well there's more likely to be snow in the Sahara than for Peyton Manning to leave the Colts for Cincinnati, so lets not even dream about it!

Lets examine Tom Brady. With all the rumors of his being disgruntled despite playing some great football, would it be the most absurd thing to think that maybe if all the stars aligned and Bill Belichick cut ties with his star QB, that someone like Cincinnati could pick him up? In a word, yes.

I don't expect Tom Brady to play anywhere other than New England, despite his contract woes. I think he's had too much success for them and aided their franchise so greatly that for them to let him go would be a travesty.

Why We Should Remain Faithful In Carson Palmer

Now disgruntled Cincy fans lend me your ears. I know some of us feel like this season Carson has no excuses and must perform, but if he doesn't, i still think he's our very best option at quarterback with the current NFL landscape.

Palmer's injury is far enough behind him that it should not be an issue this season, but i am not short-sighted in thinking that this means he should take us to the Super Bowl this year. If the Cincinnati team stays the way it is Carson Palmer will continue to grow more confident provided he stays healthy. If Cincinnati can produce a playoff run this year then I have no doubt that they can do it the following year. This isn't the end of the road that so many fans seem to think it is.

This is why I believe the best thing for Cincinnati to do, is stick by Carson Palmer regardless of the 2010/11 outcome. While doing so Mike Brown should definitely bring in one of the top QB prospects in the coming drafts and begin to build him up under Palmer. 

Carson still has juice in the tank, I know that I am in the minority when I defend him and suggest that he still has it in him, but I feel it is so. I do not see the need to remove him immediately, instead we should think more long term.

Palmer finally has a team to match the '05 team and he may need more than one season with them to reach their potential. Stick by him fans, I believe the best is yet to come.