The Cincinnati Bengals trade with the Oakland Raiders in which the Bengals sent Carson Palmer to the Raiders for two high draft picks was a big deal amongst the media and fans. For the players in the Bengals locker room however, it did not seem to be that big of a deal. Their focus was on the Bengals and how to continue winning football games. A few of the elder statesmen in the Bengals locker room summed up their feelings on the trade.
Bobbie Williams, who has played with Carson since 2004, had this to say:
"Kudos to Carson," said right guard Bobbie Williams. "There ain’t too much that I can say about it. Just good luck to everybody, to Carson, and we’re just going to continue playing ball here in Cincinnati. I don’t know about the details, but whatever it is, I’m pretty sure we got what we wanted, he got what he wanted and we’ll go from there."
Andrew Whitworth, who was one of the few people on the team who Carson spoke to about his desire to be traded had this to say:
"Every guy in this room has a job to do every Sunday, and nobody’s worried about what Carson’s doing. So guys are worried about what they’ve got to do to win and keep their job. As much as it’s a team game, it’s a business, and these guys have jobs to fight for, and that’s what they’re worried about."
Veteran safety Chris Crocker, who has been with the Bengals since 2008 gave his take.
"We felt like this was a new team, a young team that was starting fresh. It’s never really been something in the back of our minds or something that we chatted about."
Ultimately, this resolution seems to be a win-win for everyone involved. The Raiders get a viable starting quarterback whom they believe will be able to lead them to the playoffs. The Bengals were able to trade an unproductive asset in Carson for two high draft picks. Finally, Bengals fans are excited in that they get to move on from the Carson mess with an owner who might just be showing signs that he's willing to go the extra mile to turn this franchise into a perennial winner.