The Carson Palmer trade should ensure that the Oakland Raiders don't drop out entirely of the AFC Playoff race with Jason Campbell out indefinitely. Palmer provides the Raiders with instant experience on offense and should be a suitable replacement, even if he's not even close to the same player who powered the Cincinnati Bengals early on in his career.
But a bigger question remains. Would the Raiders have made this trade if their legendary owner was still with them? Michael Lombardi of NFL.com says no, because Oakland gave up way too much to give him.
In many ways, this makes sense. Davis's strategy of "Just win, baby!" didn't just stop at the football field. He wanted to win everything, including his trades. Conceding these draft picks is a huge price for the Raiders to pay, and something Davis might have been reticent to do. I doubt Palmer is a Raider now if Davis is the owner, for better or for worse.
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