HERE'S CARSON!!!!

Here indeed.

In case you've been living under an NFL rock for the past 48-hours, former USC Trojan and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer - who refused to report to play for the Bengals this season and has been demanding a trade since the end of the Bengals 4-12 2010 campaign - has finally gotten his wish.

The Oakland Raiders, after losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell to injury on Sunday for what could be the remainder of the season,  have traded a 1st round pick in the 2012 draft and a 2nd round 2013 pick (which has the potential to become a 1st rounder) for Palmer.

Palmer, who sports an 86.9 career passer rating and has twice thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season (falling just short twice more with 3,836 yards in the 2005 season and 3,970 yards last season), is somewhat of an NFL enigma. After leading an upstart 11-5 Bengals team to the postseason in 2005, a season in which he threw for 32 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, Palmer's knee was essentially torn apart on a hit sustained in the team's first-round playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now, 5 seasons and an elbow reconstruction later, the quarterback who was once thought to be the next "elite" NFL passer has never been quite able to attain that same level of success.

This afternoon my buddy Steve and I were having a conversation regarding the QB and what this means for Oakland, and I think the back-and-forth really sums up the myriad of feelings one can have on Palmer and the trade, as well as how much is riding on this season relating to the context in which Palmer's career is ultimately viewed. So, without further ado, here is the convo:

Steve: Palmer is expected to start on Sunday.

Me: Ohhhhhhhh Yaaaaaaaaa.

Steve: Palmer is such a bum. I can't believe, CAN'T BELIEVE, that the Raiders gave a 1st-rounder, and possibly two 1st rounders, to get him. What a fuckin' joke.

Me: I agree that they overpaid. However, it cannot be ignored that this guy was once mentioned in the same breath as Brady, Manning and Brees. 

Steve: Was. When he left he was more like a bum.

Me: The injuries and just being stuck in that horrendous franchise clearly had a huge impact on his game. I'm curious to see what a change of scenery might do for him. I've always like Carson Palmer and would like to see him succeed.

Steve: Funny, you used a similar excuse for Ocho-stinko. Carson sucks.

Me: I don't deny that. It was clearly too late for Chad. He needed to get out two seasons ago. However, QBs have a longer shelf life, and I think Carson might still be salvageable. Clearly, as evidenced by his refusal to play for the Bengals, he knew he needed a change of scenery. Now that he's gotten one, let's see what he does with it.

Steve: Na.

Me: Ya.

Steve: Ya, like Oakland is the place to be.

Me: I will wager he takes Oakland to the post-season.

Steve: They are winning their division already. If they don't go, it's his fault.

Me: They still have to contend with the Chargers, who always make a late season rally.

Steve: Ya.

Me: I say, if he can come in without any training camp, prep time to learn the offense, or familiarity with the receivers and get them to the playoffs, that is a massive accomplishment.

Steve: In a division with only one other contender, maybe, but not enough to change my opinion. The post-season is where he is at his suckiest.

Me: We shall see. I'm using the Rocky IV corollary here: "If I can change, and you can change, maybe Carson Palmer can change."

Steve: Na.

Me: Only time will tell.