The Oakland Raiders have acquired former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2013. Some Raiders fans may consider that duo of draft picks too much in the early hours following the trade, but Raiders head coach Hue Jackson doesn't think so. According to Steve Cockran, Jackson thinks that Palmer can help the Raiders win a title.
Jackson praised Palmer's traits and stated that the nine-year veteran has the qualities in a quarterback that the Raiders organization is looking for. In Jackson's view, Palmer isn't just a replacement for quarterback Jason Campbell but a central figure in the ongoing re-emergence of the franchise.
The Raiders coach also addressed the draft picks that the team gave up in this trade: "As far as the draft picks, what we had to give up to get this young man, I never hesitated." That's a huge vote of confidence in Palmer, whose veteran experience should bring a nice balance to a Raiders pass attack that features young guns Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bay.
Jackson summed things up nicely in another statement: "We're not putting people on the team just to put them there. We're chasing a championship." The Raiders are giving off the perception that they do not expect to miss a beat with Palmer at the head and that they want to win now. Palmer will likely get his first chance to prove himself and impress Raider Nation against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Seven, just ahead of the team's bye week.