FanPost

My Thoughts on the Palmer Trade ... After Digestion ...

I know, there's a lot of other threads along these lines, but I thought I'd share how I'm feeling about the whole thing, now that I've had a couple days to digest things, consult with friends and family (esp. my dad and bros, all of which are HUGE Raider fans ... my dad since the days of Youell Field (sp?)), and soak up as many articles about the subject as possible ... 

So to that end, here' s what I'm thinking/feeling regarding the trade at this point ...

IF the team weren't already so young and stock-piled w/what I think are either very good players, or potentially very good players once they develop a bit more (Pryor, Moore, Goethel, Ausberry, Chekwa, DVD, BC, Barksdale, and TJ to name a few), I'd be REALLY nervous about giving up these draft picks to get CP.  But it is a very young team, stocked w/a ton of potential talent, and w/coaches that I believe can develop that talent.  And these facts *really* help mitigate my concern about the move.

As I see it, we have 3 positions we actually need to upgrade or replace over the next couple of years, and it can be done via FA, getting lucky w/some later-round draft picks (where we've been doing quite well thank you very much), or simply through some of our younger players maturing. 

Let's face it: Seymour won't be at this level much longer, and I don't know that we have anyone on the roster now that can fill his shoes.  We should probably use our highest 2012 or 2013 (depending on the rate of Seymour's decline and who's available) pick on a stud defensive tackle.

Cooper Carlisle is getting older and ain't that great to begin with ... hopefully though Barksdale or BC will develop into his replacement.  If not, you don't need a friggin 1st round pick to get a decent guard.

Lastly, we need a top-notch 2nd cornerback, but we've already got two decent rookie prospects, so hopefully Chekwa and/or DVD are going to develop into stud corners for us, in which case, this position is nailed down for years to come.  If not, whichever year we don't draft a stud DT, we draft a stud corner w/our highest available pick.


I also think we actually have 6 wide receivers that are ALL good players, and that having CP as QB is going to elevate the play of these young WR's to the point that a number of them could become valuable trade-bait to help us pick up guys in the positions I've mentioned above ... because from where I sit ... we don't *really* need Murph, Shillens and Hagan ... they're similar enough players that I think that two of them would suffice.  And I don't personally think we 'need' both Ford and Moore, we could develop them both into studs, and keep whichever is the better, and then trade the other to fill one of the aforementioned positions.

Other than that, I like the exact team we have for this, and the next three years, minimum, and I think we're going to be competing for playoffs that whole time.  Pryor can sit under the tutelage of Palmer, and if he develops into what we all think he COULD over that time (i.e. first-round caliber), it's basically like we used the pick we gave away for Palmer to get Pryor, so it's kind of a wash there.  This is overall as talented a group of players that any team out there has, aside from the Packers ... and it's mainly Rodgers that puts them over the top.

Looking at the alternatives ... aside from trading for that loser Orton, there were none.  Going w/Boller meant leaving a great opportunity this season 'on the table', and from where I sit, that would've been unacceptable.  In getting CP, we did what we had to do, and I expect it to pay great dividends over the next 4 years.  If he stays healthy, I think we have a team RIGHT NOW that can contend for the next 4 years, with only the above mentioned 3 positions seeing change.

But perhaps most importantly in all this, I just dunno if I could take ANOTHER YEAR (after 7 of the last 8 being this way) of the Nation throwing up it's collective hands after like 7 games and going 'oh, well, NEXT YEAR maybe this team will be decent!' and beginning the draft talk in friggin' October.  I'm fucking WAY BEYOND sick of that shit.  The time is NOW, and Hue has seized the friggin' day with this trade.

At first it really freaked me out, and I still hold that we've taken HUGE gamble w/this trade ... but the trade DOES make sense for this team, under the particular circumstances that surrounded it.  For now, In Hue I Trust.

GO RAIDERS!!!