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The Oakland Raiders will likely once again be a franchise in transition as they head into the offseason. They acquired Carson Palmer via a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals before the 2011 season, giving up what every Raiders fan would call way, way too much, and it didn't get them anything other than a 4-12 record two years later. Rumors are beginning to float around that the Raiders are already looking to ditch Palmer, but the only statistic that the Raider were in the top-10 in was passing. They were poor on the ground and especially bad on defense.
The Raiders, thanks to their 4-12 season, will go on the clock at No. 3 overall in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft. With that pick, they may look to upgrade their defense by taking a new linebacker, perhaps one that can rush the passer as well as drop back in coverage. Two guys that may be available for the Raiders are Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and LSU outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo. Either of these two would likely be a significant upgrade for the Raiders in 2013.
The Raiders don't have a second-round pick due to the Palmer trade with the Bengals, which only makes their first selection hold more weight.