NFL Trade Speculation: 5 Reasons Oakland Raiders Must Trade for Carson Palmer

A once promising season is now on the brink for the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders achieved a pyhrric victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, winning the game 24-17, but lost starting quarterback Jason Campbell with a broken collarbone. The Raiders have already contacted for Jacksonville Jaguar David Garrard, but their best option might be in Cincinnati.

Carson Palmer hasn't played a snap this season and is demanding a trade from the Bengals. The Bengals have yet to oblige Palmer's request, but with the trade deadline tomorrow, perhaps they would be more open to an exchange of talent or draft picks.

The Raiders sit at 4-2 and are favorites to boost their record to 6-2 over the next two games, but without a legitimate starting quarterback (sorry Kyle Boller) this potentially playoff bound team could go to waste.

Here are five reasons why the Raiders need to trade for Carson Palmer.

Need Someone to Throw the Deep Ball

The Raiders, for the first time all season, were able to have all of their wide receivers active for a game on Sunday.

But without a solid quarterback who is going to get them the ball.

The only play to throw a touchdown in Campbell's absence was punted Shane Lechler and while trick plays are fun, they aren't exactly a reliable source of offense in a season.

Palmer has the ability to throw deep and take advantage of the Raiders' speed out wide.

Open Up the Run

The Raiders are not a pass-first team, they are a run-first team. However, if you want to run you must also throw the ball.

If the Raiders become completely one dimensional they will not be able to run the ball well as opposing teams will stack the box with eight or so men.

A good quarterback option will force the opposition to defend both and give the Raiders a chance to exploit with play action amongst other offensive schemes.

Take Pressure off the Defense

Man for man, the Raiders have a very good defense, but all defenses break over time. A quarterback that can lead a long sustained drive can give the defense rest.

A quarterback that can lead long, sustained drives that result in points are even better. As they give the defense a larger margin of error to work with.

Obviously both offense and defense must be productive, but a great quarterback is a friend of any defense both due to points scored and limitation of the defenses time on the field.

He's "Available"

Available is relative term.

In reality, Palmer has demanded a trade and the Bengals haven't budged.

With that in mind, the Raiders would need to make a significant offer, perhaps something above a third round pick, to pry Palmer away from Cincinnati.

Is it worth it?

Only time will actually tell, but most people would be much more comfortable with Palmer than Boller under center.

Don't Let a Potentially Great Season Slip Away

If this were any other of the past 10 seasons Campbell's injury wouldn't be that big a deal.

The Raiders would likely be headed to a 6-10 or 5-11 season and another high draft pick. In this case the Raiders are contending, both in the AFC West and potentially the entire conference.

The Raiders have a favorable schedule that would be infinitely improved with a solid quarterback. While the Raiders might be able to squeak into the playoffs with the current team on hand, a real quarterback would give them a shot at making some noise come January.

Good seasons haven't been the norm for the Silver and Black in recent history and with the strong start so far, it would be foolish not to make the best of this bad situation.

The Raiders must acquire Carson Palmer if they want to honor the memory of Al Davis.