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Raiders Countdown to Kickoff: 3: Who wore it best, who's wearing it now

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By Levi Damien
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The NFL regular season officially opens today with the Patriots facing the Steelers; the two teams that will give Raiders a tough time deciding who they want to lose the most (probably the Patriots). Even with the season starting today, the Raiders season is still three days away. The best to wear number 4 belongs the Raiders current big armed passer, number 3 goes to their first.

Who wore it best: QB Daryle Lamonica (1967-74)

Nicknamed "The Mad Bomber", Lamonica came to the Raiders in a trade that sent Tom Flores and Art Powell to Buffalo. In his first season in Oakland, Lamonica took the Raiders to the Super Bowl and was named All AFL. He played eight seasons for the Raiders, and was named All Pro twice and a Pro Bowler five times. He is the franchise third all-time leading passer with 16,655 passing yards along with 148 touchdowns to 115 interceptions.

Who's wearing it now: No one

Who wore it last: QB  Carson Palmer (2011-12)

The former Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Pro Bowler was acquired in trade with the Cincinnati Bengals halfway through the 2011 season after a lengthy holdout. The Raiders had lost Jason Campbell to a broken collarbone and then head coach Hue Jackson wanted to keep the Raiders on a winning course, so he orchestrated the trade that sent a 2012 first round pick and a 2013 second round pick to Cincinnati for Palmer.

Palmer would lose his first start before winning 3-straight, then the Raiders dropped 4-5 to end the season. Jackson would be fired and Carson Palmer stayed around for the entire 2012 season, throwing for 4018 yards with 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Following the season, the Raiders wanted Palmer to renegotiate his contract and Palmer's camp wasn't agreeing to their terms so the Raiders traded him to the Cardinals for a sixth round pick.

The Raiders were left with a failed replacement in Matt Flynn, and their second round pick headed to Cincinnati where Hue Jackson had been hired and now enjoys the picks he himself traded while Raiders head coach and unofficial acting GM. Palmer threw for 4274 yards in his first season in Arizona.

By the way, Jackson returns to Oakland Sunday as Bengals offensive coordinator.

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