NFL Around the League: How Carson Palmer Shakes Up the AFC West

Reports from Jay Glazer indicate that Carson Palmer is almost certainly going to be a Raider by the trade deadline this afternoon. 

This would end a long saga in Cincinnati, bringing some peace and quiet to the young team.  They will finally be able to play games without Palmer's crying in the background.

As for the Raiders, their gain is monumental here.  I've been highly critical of Palmer over the last several years since he suffered a knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He's been inconsistent and ineffective quite often.  Sure, he's managed to put up some relatively decent numbers in certain games, but overall, the man has played scared since being injured.  His passes are hurried and he doesn't throw with the same power since he's always jumping in the air to avoid any pressure at all.

With Palmer most likely headed to Oakland, he changes the face of the team.  First off, he played college ball at USC.  Not that Oakland and USC are close, but they're in California, where he's used to playing.

In terms of talent, however, Palmer raises the bar to standards that haven't been seen in Oakland since Rich Gannon retired.  The quarterback carousel that it's been since then is ridiculous, and it most recently came to Jason Campbell.

He may not be a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he's been able to get the job done.

Palmer is miles above any quarterback the Raider Nation has seen over the past several seasons.  He's got a powerful arm, good field vision and has playoff experience.  Despite my own criticisms, I have to give him credit where it's due:  his struggles in Cincinnati were not always entirely his fault, as he was pretty much always playing behind a bad offensive line.

If the Raiders can complete this deal, their team is raised to the next level.  I just published an article merely hours ago stating that the Raiders would fall just short of the playoffs.  Though I still need to examine the situation, Carson Palmer helps this team so much that he could be the one man that changes that prediction.

On that same article, I predicted the Bengals would be the fifth-seeded AFC playoff team.  How amazing would it be if the Raiders got the fourth?

The AFC West will be shaken to its core by the addition of Carson Palmer.  Phil Rivers will finally have someone who can legitimately compete on his level.