Carson Palmer Not the Answer for the Arizona Cardinals
By Scott Allen
Dec 16, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer (3) gestures against the Kansas City Chiefs at the O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
There is a reason why current Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer has had to restructure his contract twice and is being asked a third time to do. He is an expensive quarterback without producing the results his salary demands. Monday, a report surfaced that the Raiders were ready to release him and that the Arizona Cardinals may be an interested suitor. While he may be better than what the Cards have or had, he is not the long-term answer.
Palmer is nothing more than a stop-gap quarterback. Sure, he could be a find like Kurt Warner, however I wouldn’t expect it. He is only 33, so he could play a few more years but now is the time for the Cards to set themselves up for the future. Although Drew Stanton is a relative unknown, why not go with him as they said they would? They can draft a quarterback in the second or third round of this years draft. Now you have something generated for the future.
Of course these is always the chance that plan doesn’t work. Palmer though is a guy who isn’t going to be the next Cardinals quarterback for the next five to seven years. Palmer would definitely be the starter coming in if the Cards stick to Bruce Arians no quarterback competition addict, especially at the salary he would command, which is whole other issue.
Why spend all that money on a guy who isn’t a franchise quarterback? I’m not particularly impressed by this years crop of quarterbacks in the draft at any level, but they could get away with a lower round low-risk guy. The Cards risk their near future by bringing in an older, although well-established, expensive quarterback who would produce mediocre results at best.
It’s not the end of the world if he is signed and we’ll run with it if it happens. However if the Cards want to start building for the future, they can’t be looking to a quarterback of the past.