Oakland Raiders QB quandary addressed by NFL.com analysts

The Oakland Raiders are supposed to ask Carson Palmer to take a pay cut, or else they will cut him from the team. But while the $13 million that is owed Palmer in 2013 is certainly a motivating factor, the other issue to consider is that Palmer is getting older and the Raiders do not know who their quarterback of the future is going to be.

Today, NFL.com had four of its analysts weigh in on the topic. Here is they would handle the Raiders quarterback situation:

Adam Schein: Cut Palmer and trade for Matt Flynn.

Schein thinks Palmer is not worth keeping around at any price, and would prefer to see general manager Reggie McKenzie re-united with former Green Bay Packer Matt Flynn.

Charley Casserly: Keep Palmer.

Casserly said he is not sold on Terrelle Pryor and does not see any other options for the Raiders. He also states that if Palmer were cut, there would be demand for him and if signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, Casserly believes Palmer would make them an instant playoff team.

Jason Smith: Scrap Palmer and start from scratch.

Smith thinks that Palmer can still play a bit, but that the Raiders should still cut him. In his opinion, it is time to find the QB of the future. As such, he would start Pryor and bring in a veteran as a back up if Pryor struggles, then draft another QB in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft.

Adam Rank: Deal with Palmer and let Pryor compete to start.

Rank believes the Raiders should get Palmer to take a pay cut, but if he doesn't, they should cut him. Regardless of whether or not Palmer is on the roster next season, Rank would give Pryor a shot at the starting spot, but also draft a QB in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft.

As un exciting as this sounds, I would have to agree with Rank. Ideally, I'd like to see Palmer and Pryor battle for the starting position while the Raiders draft someone in later rounds as a potential starter for the future. I definitely do not think the Raiders should pursue a trade for Matt Flynn, and unless Palmer refuses to take a pay cut, I would not automatically cut him.

However, the similarity in some of these answers makes two things clear, first, the Raiders need to address the QB position, and second, there is no clear cut answer to how they should address it.