Carson Palmer Is A Raider: AA Roundtable
The Oakland Raiders made a very bold move in trading for Carson Palmer. Arrowhead Addict’s senior editor Patrick Allen and senior staff writer’s Double D and Big Matt discuss the move.
1. Paddy: Alright, so the Raiders kind of bet the farm on Carson Palmer. What do you think of the trade?
DD:
It was an stunningly idiotic trade considering that the Raiders may not get to pick in next year’s draft until the 5th round. At the same time, I also have to acknowledge that Palmer, even at 31, is a better QB than Campbell, which, considering that the Raiders offense has been playing pretty well of late, this might make them really scary. Fortunately, this week anyway, we’re catching them at the start of that whole transition, plus I imagine Palmer has quite a bit of rust to shake off. Still, even that may not matter all that much because the Raiders seem to be taking care of business just with their ground game. If the Raiders play well enough to make it to the postseason, then their talent is probably good enough to get them fairly deep into the playoffs and of course, they’ll look like geniuses for making the deal. What do you think about it?
Big Matt:
I know I’m not the first to make this joke, but it really seems like Al Davis left wacky trade instructions behind in his will. Or does this tell us not everything crazy that happened in Oakland was Davis’s fault? I mean, he’s gone, and there was still someone there willing to give up a first- and second-round pick when bidding against themselves.
If it ends up being two first-round picks, then presumably Palmer played really well. Is a good quarterback on a good team worth two first-round picks? Maybe, maybe not, but at least the waters get murkier at that point and you could make a case for the trade being a success. If this Palmer ends up being the same guy who can throw 20 picks in a season though, the Raiders will have mortgaged a sizable chunk of their future for nothing, and I’ll have a good laugh.
Paddy:
I think the Raiders had the right idea by going after Palmer, but they gave up way too much. The Raiders are greatly improved and yes, but they are only 12-10 in their last 22 games. If Palmer plays well he could make up for a lot of those holes but will he be able to do it soon enough to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl? Because that had better be the outcome when you put up potentially two first-round picks for a guy. I just don’t think the Raiders are one player away and I don’t think Palmer is good enough to make the difference. Plus, if he gets hurt or turns out to be totally washed up, the Raiders will be out of ammunition to re-load. Personally, I’d have tried to trade for Kyle Orton. Orton could play just as well as Campbell and maybe get the Raiders to the playoffs, where they will likely lose. Then, the team would have had some playoff experience and they would have also had a crucial first round pick to try to select a player with long-term upside. I think the trade comes back to bite them in the ass.
2. Big Matt: Even though it seems foolish, and probably is foolish, is there a part of you, deep down somewhere, that secretly admires the way the Raiders threw caution to the wind with this trade?
Paddy:
I admire their aggression in an effort to improve their team. I feel the Chiefs would benefit from a little more aggression at times. That being said, I don’t think you want to go too far one way or the other. If the Chiefs are on the conservative side, then the Raiders are on the insanely aggressive side.
So while I’d like Scott Pioli to be more aggressive in pursuit of free agents, I can’t envy the Raiders because I think the Raiders are reckless. Being reckless with draft picks can set you back way farther than playing it safe.
DD:
You got it right from the beginning. It is foolish. If the Chiefs were to ever pull an insane stunt like this, I would completely lose it. Based on the reaction that I’ve see from some Raiders fans, there appears to be a similar sentiment within their fan ranks. Even if it were to somehow garner the Raiders a Super Bowl win, which it won’t, this is no way to build a lasting franchise. Admire this? No sirree bob. Not for me.
Big Matt:
God, yes. Pioli’s smug snail’s pace has been maddening. The Palmer trade was shortsighted, no doubt, but it must be nice to at least see your team going for it. Where the Raiders get crazy trades, we get repeated assurances that the future will be bright. Honestly, I don’t know which is the better option in terms of fan experience. What I do know is that three years ago we were carefully “rebuilding,” and the Raiders were living for the present, like they always do. So why are they still better than us now?
I guess what I’m saying is I bet the word “fit” is used a lot less in the Oakland front office than it is in ours.
3. DD: Assuming Palmer starts on Sunday against the Chiefs, why would the Raiders risk going with a short-notice QB that hasn’t taken a snap since Week 17 of last year?
Big Matt:
Because that’s how they do. The Raiders don’t think about things the same way the rest of us do. Palmer is a good player, good players are better than bad players, boom, get him on the field. It’s as simple as that for them. And hey, maybe they’re right. Is a rusty Carson Palmer really going to give them a worse chance to win than Kyle Boller?
I’m licking my chops for this, because I’m assuming we’re going to see plenty of Palmer on his ass. I want five sacks this game, and I think that’s a realistic possibility. Of course, I’d be licking my chops for Boller too. You know, because of how terrible he is? But it really seems like this game is going to be the perfect storm for lovers of the pass rush.
Paddy:
I think the Raiders know they have a solid team that can win a lot of ways. They have a strong running game and excellent special teams play. Their defense is pretty solid. If they can avoid mistakes, they don’t need their QB to go ballistic. Remember, this team is built to be run by Jason Campbell.
I think the Raiders feel safer with a rusty Palmer running a basic offense than Kyle Boller running any offense. Palmer also gives the Raiders an accurate deep ball, something Palmer will probably be better at than Boller.
DD:
I’d say the Raiders are thinking that they can run the ball well against the Chiefs no matter what and will not need to rely on Palmer’s arm to win it for them. They also are probably looking at the Chiefs pass rush capabilities and are not feeling very intimidated by that as far as risking injury to Palmer goes. Bottom line, it’s a bit of a gamble, but it is still a big rivalry game where they expect their guys come out swinging regardless of who they have under center and also allows them to get Palmer’s feet in the fire sooner rather than later. I mean would they be so much better off if they started Boller instead? I kind of doubt it.