NFL Trade Deadline: Why Carson Palmer Deal Gives Bengals a Bright Future

There's really no other way to put it. 

The Cincinnati Bengals committed highway robbery today, trading disgruntled and "retired" quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round pick in 2012 and another conditional pick that could be as high as a first-rounder in 2013.

But the Bengals future doesn't include a stop in the NFL penitentiary for the crime they pulled off today. Cincinnati has nothing but praise coming their way, and a future that looks as bright as it has since Palmer tore up his knee in the 2006 playoffs.

Let's start by giving owner Mike Brown some credit. He played this exactly the way he wanted to. Brown didn't reward Palmer for quitting on his franchise and a contract that Palmer agreed to.

He let Palmer do his retirement, all the while Brown drafted both Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in the first 40 picks of last April's draft.

Dalton has lead the Bengals to a 4-2 record, which matches the number of wins that Palmer posted with the Bengals a year ago.

Dalton's emergence at quarterback allowed Brown to give thought to moving Palmer. And when Hue Jackson and the Raiders came knocking, Brown started listening.

Brown and Jackson have been close since Jackson worked in Cincinnati as the receivers coach from 2004 to 2006, a relationship which helped play into the facilitation of this deal.

But while Jackson got himself a quarterback, Brown raided the Raiders draft stock both this season and the next. And the best part for Brown? He got the picks for a guy that was never going to help the Bengals in either season.

Now, with potentially two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, the Bengals have the opportunity to make a real splash in the NFL landscape over the next handful of seasons.

Dalton will be the key man in the whole puzzle, and he needs to continue to progress as the Bengals quarterback. But with that kind of draft ammunition in hand, the Bengals can add several playmakers on offense to help in that maturation process.

Can you imagine if the Bengals were able to get another offensive lineman to protect Dalton, and maybe a dynamic running back such as Alabama's Trent Richardson in April's draft?

The Bengals offense would suddenly look like a dynamic unit with Dalton, Richardson, Green and tight end Jermaine Gresham as the offensive cornerstones.

The Bengals defense has also been a huge surprise in 2011, as they rank third against the pass and sixth against the run. It's still early, but that's a huge upgrade over what the Bengals have produced in recent seasons.

If they could add another playmaker in the secondary or a bona fide pass rusher, the Bengals defense could be a tough unit.

Overall, the Raiders paid a steep price for a piece of the puzzle they felt they absolutely needed. In return, the Bengals got a couple draft picks that could go a long ways in rebuilding a franchise that Palmer left to burn without him.

So, while Mike Brown took a lot of heat for what he's done with this situation, he certainly got the last laugh on the entire matter. The Bengals future is now bright from the flame out that was Palmer's last significant impact on Cincinnati's franchise.