The Cincinnati Bengals traded former quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for this year's No. 17 selection and a conditional second-round selection during the 2013 NFL draft. If the Raiders make it to the AFC Championship game, then that second-round pick is upgraded to a one. Palmer appeared on the Dan Patrick Show Monday morning saying that the trade benefited both teams.
From the Dan Patrick Show's website:
Dan asked Palmer if he worries about patching up a relationship with the Bengals. Palmer said no, because both parties have moved on … there’s nothing to patch up. Palmer said that "it was just time" for the Bengals to move on and for him to move on: "In years to come, both organizations will look back and say this is the best thing that could have happened."
From a certain perspective, we can see the point. Palmer got out of Cincinnati while the Bengals selected Andy Dalton as his replacment and acquired cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick via Oakland's first-round selection this year. Moreso the Bengals will have a second-round pick to play with next year. From the point of view of Palmer and the organization, it was a win-win for both sides.
That being said we're not 100 percent sure where the Raiders could have won this trade right now. And maybe that was his point for "years to come". Though he sat out of training camp and the first month of the season (getting a late start to the 2011 season), Palmer still threw 16 interceptions in 10 games played.
When the season was over the Raiders shuffled their front office and Hue Jackson was fired as the team's head coach. Not the type of reaction that you'd expect from a team expected to win in 2012 with a quarterback turning 33 years old this year and voidable years in 2014 and 2015 on a four-year deal.
But in fairness to Palmer, the results of who won and lost this trade should be vested with some patience. Maybe he single-handedly turns the team around, then it could be argued. And probably by that time, Bengals fans will have stepped so far away from the discussion that it'll be nothing more than static on the television.
But right now. Our only response to Palmer's point is this: LOL.
See you on November 25, 2012.