NFL Trade Rumors: Mike Brown's Stubborness Blessing in Disguise for All Parties

Pick any sport. Rumors tend to run rampant as their trade deadline approaches. It's only natural. Some of the weaker teams are looking to unload some of their older, high-priced talent while others are looking for a good veteran.

One rumor that won't go away is the one that would have the Bengals trading Carson Palmer. Actually, this rumor has been going strong since Palmer announced that he wouldn't play for the Bengals.

Bengals' owner Mike Brown has been consistent in saying that he would not trade or release Palmer. Apparently, that hasn't changed.

Terry McCormick posted on National Football Post that Brown is not going to move Palmer. Ironically, the only party that this hurts is the Bengals, who could potentially get a nice draft pick from a team for the former Pro Bowl quarterback.

Could Palmer help a team? Theoretically, yes, but think about it this way.

He hasn't played since last season. He would now be entering an NFL whose regular season is almost half done. The players he is playing with and playing against are in great shape right now. While I am sure that Palmer has kept in strong physical shape, is he really going to be in game shape immediately?

Palmer would be taking a team over whose system and players he's unfamiliar with. It would at least take him a couple weeks to get into the swing of things.

Theoretically, a team trading for Palmer would be on the brink of a playoff spot. Could that team really afford to wait a couple of weeks for their quarterback to get used to the offense?

From Palmer's end, why would he want to come back now. If anything, he should take the entire year off, then come back and get an full training camp and preseason.

Any team that was thinking about trading for Palmer needs to go up to Mike Brown and thank him.

According to Adam Schefter, a team trading for Palmer would be losing two draft picks. That's an awfully steep price to pay for an ice cold 32-year-old quarterback.