Carson Palmer Trade Rumors: Bengals Should Trade Exiled QB to Raiders

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer has been sitting at home watching the action from his couch all season because owner Mike Brown wants to play hardball. It's time for the childish games to end. The Bengals have an asset another team wants and they aren't going to use in Palmer, so trade him.

Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole broke the news about the Oakland Raiders interest in Palmer:

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Before improving to 4-2, the Oakland Raiders lit an eternal flame to honor the late Al Davis. After Sunday’s 24-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the team is apparently still channeling Davis’ aggressive spirit. As the NFL trading deadline looms Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, the Raiders are attempting to fill a black hole at the NFL’s most critical position by approaching Cincinnati about quarterback Carson Palmer.

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Oakland is without a viable quarterback option after starter Jason Campbell went down with a collarbone injury. Kyle Boller will likely start on Sunday if they are unable to make a trade before 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Why Brown insists on making Palmer suffer is unclear and illogical. The one point that's being proven is how stubborn the Bengals owner is when it comes to disgruntled players. He could very well receive a mid-round pick for Palmer since Oakland is desperate, but would rather get nothing to prove a point nobody cares about anyway.

Not to mention Palmer hasn't been anything more than an average quarterback since 2006. While he would be an upgrade for the Raiders, even if he had a change of heart and showed up to Paul Brown Stadium, he wouldn't sniff the field due to Andy Dalton.

Cole's report says Oakland might be willing to part with a third-round pick in 2013 for Palmer. Considering Brandon Lloyd was traded to the St. Louis Rams for less than that, the Bengals would be crazy not to accept that type of offer.

If Brown and the Bengals had a change of heart, it would take Palmer a few weeks to get up to speed. After that he would likely be Oakland's best option at the position even if Campbell returns this season (he hasn't been placed on IR).

The former first-overall selection completed 62 percent of his passes for nearly 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. The Raiders would need him to cut down on his mistakes (20 interceptions and three lost fumbles), however.

He's also had a lot of free time to rest and rehabilitate nagging injuries. The Raiders are in the heat of a playoff battle and clearly don't think Boller can lead them to the promised land. Palmer is a question mark, but worth a shot if it means remaining in contention.

All told, this trade would appear to be a win-win. Cincinnati gets a mid-round draft pick to continue building its franchise, which appears to be on a steady rise, while Oakland gets a much needed upgrade at QB.

Too bad Mike Brown doesn't realize that and would rather make Carson Palmer sit in timeout.