Carson Palmer Trade Rumors: Should The Carolina Panthers Make a Play For Palmer?

Carson Palmer is threatening retirement if the Cincinnati Bengals don't move him to another team. It appears that Palmer has had enough with the Bengals' losing ways and wants to salvage his fading career with another team.

Palmer was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft and was once thought to be the next great quarterback. But he suffered a devastating knee injury five years ago that hindered his career.

There's no doubt that the injury interrupted a blossoming career, which would have been much more productive the past few seasons if he never had been injured in the first place.

Instead, Palmer is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro. The former USC Trojan threw 20 interceptions and his decision making was flat out awful throughout the season.

So why exactly would the Carolina Panthers want to acquire Palmer?

Meet Jimmy Clausen.

Clausen was projected to go in the first round in last year's draft but ended up falling all the way to the 48th pick where Carolina would take him.

At the time it looked like the Panthers got an absolute steal in the second round. Now it looks like Carolina made a mistake by drafting the Notre Dame product.

Clausen looked inept playing QB and didn't have the look of a future star or even a productive starter. He threw just three touchdowns in his rookie season to nine interceptions and finished with a dismal passer rating of 58.4. 

With Ron Rivera running the show in Carolina now, maybe he'll be able to turn Clausen around. But the more likely solution is to bring in a veteran QB to go along with Clausen.

So Palmer's demand comes at a time when the Panthers are already looking for a veteran QB, why not bring in an a respected one?

The Panthers finished 2-14 this past season but this is a team that could easily turn things around next season—if there even is one.

There's a lot to like about Carolina starting with the running backs and offensive line. Jeff Otah missed the entire season with a knee injury, Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil are both Pro Bowl players, making the Panthers' line a strong suit.

An upgrade at QB could mean a Tampa Bay-esque jump in the standings for Carolina, although there are clearly other areas that need to be addressed in order to turn the franchise around.

But adding Palmer would give the Panthers a QB to turn to for the next few seasons.

And it's possible all Palmer needs to regain his pre-injury form is a new team to get rid of the stank the Bungals have left on him. Panther GM Marty Hurney needs to step up to the plate and make a play for Palmer when a new CBA is agreed to.

That doesn't mean mortgaging the future for the Bengals' QB, but making a good hard push for him is necessary. Giving new coach Rivera a veteran signal-caller will be vital in his ability to turn the Panthers into winners once again.

Unfortunately, for the Panthers, there are a number of teams that are on the hunt for a QB and the market for Palmer could end up being a first-rounder.

Trade value will be determined over the coming months but the question at hand is whether or not the Panthers should pursue Palmer. And the answer is a resounding yes.