As if mandatory by people that blog about the Bengals, I personally haven't had my daily cup of Carson Palmer gossip. Depression sets in, with two cures known. Jacking unhealthy amounts of caffeine into the system and more cowbell. In our case, for this specific discussion, we just need to make the Carson Palmer gossip work. If it doesn't, it'll be like stopping cold turkey an eight-year addiction. That's why we're going to get into the habit of calling each Carson Palmer related post our "Coffee of Carson". It's addressing an unhealthy obsession with a quick fix that should satisfy through the rest of the day. Today's topic kids. Cedric Benson. Wait. What? Yes. Alright. Truth is, we're not actually going to do that. We understand the Palmer posts get cumbersome, so rather than posting on each little development or opinion, we'll try to group them into a single post to make it less, you know, irritating.
While virtually every Bengals player that's spoken out about the topic hopes that Carson Palmer returns, the usually plain spoken and honest Cedric Benson thinks that Palmer's return would be a mistake.
"To bring him back would be detrimental to the team. If he's there and not happy, he's not going to give us his best," Benson said according to a tweet from the program "Late Hits."
He might have had an average season last year, but Benson's honesty on the point is one of the reasons I like him. And ultimately. He's right, echoing John Thornton's similar sentiments that until Palmer is gone, this will never be Andy Dalton's lockerroom. It's a point that we're completely on board with.
On the other hand, Doug Farrar of Yahoo Sports! writes that with A.J. Green in the fold, (about to be former) Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer should return. Why -- someone yells with a pastor's voice -- would the Bengals consider welcoming back the quarterback that threaten to retire if his demands were capitulated? Why o' why would the Bengals even want him after drafting Andy Dalton? Well. It would resolve the issue of a veteran quarterback bridging the gap until Andy Dalton is ready. And to be honest, it would be in Palmer's best interest to return. By sitting out a year, he'll lose value and teams may begin to lose interest. By sitting out a year, he'll tell teams that if he doesn't get what he wants, he'll just retire and you'll have to unexpectedly use a high draft pick to replace him. By sitting out a year, he'll turn 33 by December in 2012. And really, it wasn't like he was setting the world on fire in the first place.
The reality is this. Palmer can't be traded with the labor issue. And with Mike Brown refusing to believe that water's chemical elements are made H20, the stubbornness of the Bengals owner still makes us believe that Palmer just won't be traded. Additionally the reality is that he won't return if he's not traded, sitting back with his family in California, living the good life.
So what could Farrar argue that would convince Palmer to return?
Two points really.
One. The wide receiver youth movement.
Their Spartan scouting department aside, the Bengals have picked up a few young receivers with a great deal of potential over the last few years. Wide receiver Jordan Shipley and tight end Jermaine Gresham, 2010 Bengals draft picks, take care of the possession game, and Jerome Simpson covers the speedster detail. What the Bengals need going forward, especially with T.O. and Ocho most likely out of the picture, is that elite receiver to take the opponent’s No. 1 corner and speed safety out of the picture – often, at the same time. And with his aerial ability and vertical speed, that’s what Green brings to the field.
Two. Palmer's performance against the San Diego Chargers.
Three of the touchdowns in that San Diego game went for 10 yards or less, and on the one to Gresham, Palmer had to fit the ball in through several San Diego defenders to make the play. But in Georgia’s red zone situations, Green displayed a ridiculous sense of where to be, when to jump, and when to turn on the jets. These characteristics may have been best displayed in a sideline route in the end zone, where Green made a cartoonish one-handed catch for a touchdown with three defenders closing in during an October loss to Colorado.
No. There is no reason to believe Palmer is returning, except for one itty bitty possibility -- one that we're not really subscribing to. When it comes down to it and training camp starts, the league gets into full swing and business kicks up again, Palmer could get that itch to return to the game. Realizing his chances of being traded so close to the regular season turning into a big fat zero (we don't see Brown trading anything unless he's knowing exactly what he's getting), then Palmer could show up with his Dr. Nick voice saying, "Hello everybody." And with undisputable evidence that Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are not returning in 2011, Palmer could simply say, "to hell with it, let's see what this is all about." The best conclusion to that story? Make Palmer compete for the position of starting quarterback. Not that we're suggesting any of that. Just something to munch on.
Ah the fix is served. The shakes gone. Now we can move on.