Right before the start of the 2009 season, Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders shocked the league by trading away their first round pick for an aging veteran. Everyone thought this was a bad move on the part of the Raiders. It was seen as giving up a first round pick with potential for future success in order to take a shot at present success with a player who was over the hill.
Fast forward three years and Richard Seymour is one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the league and is a major reason why the Raiders are sitting at 4-2 and are a serious playoff contender.
Just over a week after the infamous leader of the Raiders passed away, whoever is calling the shots in Oakland, is doing so as if they were Al Davis themselves. First, in typical Raider fashion, Oakland traded for a first round reclamation project in Aaron Curry. Much like many of the great Raiders in history, Curry is a former first round pick with incredible athletic abilities, a true Al Davis player.
Now, the Raiders make another Seymour-esque trade by going out and getting Carson Palmer. The rumor is that the Raiders will be giving up a first round pick this season, along with a conditional first round pick in 2013. That is a lot to give for a 31 year old quarterback that will be turning 32 in December. But then again, that is what everyone said about the Seymour trade and in hindsight, that trade was brilliant.