NFL Trade Talks: 10 Teams That Could Come Calling for Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer has become one of the hottest NFL stories during the Spring months as his ultimatum of "trade me or I retire" has the Cincinnati Bengals scrambling.

The Bengals have said that they do not intend to trade Palmer this off season and expect him to play for the team in 2011. However, if the chances of a deal between Palmer and the team go south, the former Pro Bowl quarterback could be on the market to the highest bidder.

Here are 10 teams that could easily be in the market for Palmer if the Bengals decide to trade him away.

No. 10: Jacksonville Jaguars

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 12: Quarterback David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars sits on the ground after a sack during the game against the Oakland Raiders at EverBank Field on December 12, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood

The Jacksonville Jaguars went through the 2010 season with some serious questions surrounding the quarterback position as the team was forced to use four different signal callers and struggled with consistency.

The Jaguars ranked 27th in passing offense and were out-passed by their opponents by a combined 1,000 yards.

David Garrard is beginning to run out of time as the uncontested starter and Carson Palmer could be exactly the player that the organization could get behind. Palmer threw for 1,236 more yards than Garrard last season and took the Bengals to a ranking of 13th overall in passing offense.

No. 9: Carolina Panthers

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 23: Jimmy Clausen #2 of the Carolina Panthers calls a timeout during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 23, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers have made it clear this off season that they are not sold on the playing abilities of any quarterback on their current roster.

With the first overall pick in the draft, quarterback has been a hot topic and it is almost certain that there will be a new face at the position in 2011.

Depending on what the Panthers do with their first overall pick, the team may not acquire the franchise quarterback that they have been looking for over the course of the last several years.

The Panthers could make a deal for Palmer and possibly keep some significant assets as their record over recent seasons have given their late-round draft picks more value. It is hard to gauge what type of value that Palmer would have if the decision to trade him surfaces, but Carolina certainly has the pieces to offer.

No. 8: Arizona Cardinals

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Derek Anderson #3 of the Arizona Cardinals scrambles to pass the football during the NFL game against the St. Louis Rams at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Rams defea

The Arizona Cardinals went out and signed Derek Anderson from the Cleveland Browns last season as the team looked to take a different direction after the departures of Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart.

Unfortunately, the experiment has not seemed to work out for the Cardinals as Anderson struggled at points during the season and the team was forced to send three other quarterbacks in to call the plays. John Skelton, Max Hall and Richard Bartel all saw playing time in addition to Anderson and each failed to record a completion percentage higher than 60 percent.

The Cardinals finished 2010 with the 31st ranked passing offense in the league and only averaged slightly over 18 points per game.

No. 7: Seattle Seahawks

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks looks to throw the ball during pregame before taking on the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois.

With Matt Hasselbeck's future with the Seattle Seahawks in question, the entire franchise seems to be in a state of confusion as to what direction the quarterback situation will be in 2011.

Rumors of the team possibly looking into drafting a quarterback in late April have come together with rumors of the team looking to acquire a veteran leader in the summer months to form many possible situations and speculation.

A deal for Carson Palmer may not exactly put the Seahawks above where they were in 2010, but keep the team from falling into football obscurity with Hasselbeck's departure. Hasselbeck and Palmer have posted similar numbers in the last five years and Pete Carrol also shares roots with Palmer from the University of Southern California.

No. 6: Minnesota Vikings

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NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 24: Brett Favre #4 (C) and Tavaris Jackson #7 of the Minnesota Vikings look on dejected from the bench late in the game against the New Orleans Saints during the NFC Championship Game at the Louisiana Superdome on January 24, 2010 i

Assuming that Brett Favre will finally remain retired in 2011, the Minnesota Vikings will reluctantly enter the Tavaris Jackson era next season if the team fails to acquire another quarterback.

Jackson has shown flashes of brilliance in his short NFL career but experts and fans have questioned his pass accuracy his ability to lead a winning franchise through the grind of an NFL season.

Palmer could enter the Vikings franchise and become an immediate factor beside Adrian Peterson in the backfield. Minnesota may also be one of the more complete teams in the market for a quarterback as the Vikings went deep into the playoffs only one season ago.

No. 5: Washington Redskins

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins looks to throw a pass against the New York Giants on December 5, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 31-7. (

The Washington Redskins had a disappointing 6-10 season last year and the problems are only getting bigger as Donovan McNabb is eligible for free agency this summer.

Washington would be a very comfortable place for Carson Palmer as the team already has the pieces in place to be a significant playoff contender in future seasons. Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong led a receiving corps that helped Washington climb to eighth in the league in passing offense while the rushing attack proved be be the teams' Achilles heel, ranking near the bottom of the league.

If Washington can improve their rushing attack, adding a piece like Palmer to the offense could be exactly what the franchise needs to get back to the playoffs.

No. 4: Oakland Raiders

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Jason Campbell #8 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Images)

Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders have been struggling to find a solid quarterback option since the Rich Gannon era ended many years ago.

Jamarcus Russel failed to work out after being drafted as the quarterback of the future and Jason Campbell struggled with accuracy during his first season with the team. Oakland used Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski for the majority of last season as the pair were sacked a combined total of 43 times and had collective totals of 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Carson Palmer would immediately become the face of the Raiders franchise and also help the fans restore some faith in a franchise that has been among the lower echelon of the league in recent seasons. The Raiders seem to be moving in the right direction and could easily be ready for a deep playoff run if they could add more quality players.

No. 3: San Francisco 49ers

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 02: Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Darnell Dockett #90 of the Arizona Cardinals during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on January 2, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty I

San Francisco seems like it would be the perfect destination for Palmer as he lived most of his life in California before being drafted by the Bengals in 2003.

Alex Smith has failed to turn into the quarterback that the 49ers thought he would be and now the team will be going through their third coaching regime since 2008. Carson Palmer could finally shut the revolving door that has plagued the franchise since the departure of Jeff Garcia and give the teams' young wide receivers an experienced quarterback to put their trust in.

It is a traditional maneuver in the NFL for a new head coach to acquire a quarterback that he decides fit to run his style of offense. Jim Harbaugh will more than likely follow that tradition after the NFL draft is complete and Carson Palmer should be high on his list of candidates.

No. 2: Tennessee Titans

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INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 02: Kerry Collins #5 of the Tennessee Titans throws a pass during NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Tennessee Titans officially parted ways with Vince Young after the 2010 season and Kerry Collins is nearing the end of his 16-year career.

The Titans also brought Rusty Smith to the line last season but the former Florida Atlantic standout only completed 50 percent of his passes and failed to throw a touchdown opposed to four interceptions. 

The Titans are hoping to get healthy during the off season and add some help on the defensive side of the ball through the NFL Draft. Palmer would be a very significant piece to the puzzle but with the franchise in limbo, Tennessee would have to be very confident that they would not be losing a significant amount of talent.

No. 1: Miami Dolphins

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 12: Chad Henne #7 of the Miami Dolphins against the New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium on December 12, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

According to an article from the Miami Herald (found here), the Miami Dolphins are very interested in acquiring Palmer from the Bengals this summer. Chad Henne has played inconsistently and failed to induce confidence throughout the Dolphins front office while the team limped through the last three weeks of the season on to a a 7-9 record.

The Dolphins rushing attack may be a weak point in 2011 as the future's of the team's top two rushers from last season are in jeopardy. Carson Palmer would make the passing attack much better and give the offense a whole new element as the teams' young receivers can continue to get better.

Palmer would likely be in Miami for a few seasons as the team would explore other options and find a quarterback for the future.

The Dolphins are currently one of the few NFL teams that have shown significant interest despite reports that no teams have currently contacted the Bengals.

Where Will Carson Go?

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals calls a play at the line of scrimage while playing the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty

There are many possible destinations for Carson Palmer once the NFL collective bargaining agreement is finally settled.

Tell us where you think Palmer will end up next season in the comments section below!