The NFL’s annual trading deadline comes in a week. With the Bengals at 3-2 and rookie quarterback Andy Dalton playing very well, owner Mike Brown could be tempted to move quarterback Carson Palmer.
If Brown is, he isn’t saying.
“I don’t have a thing to say about that,” Brown said at the ownership meetings in Houston, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com. Per Wyche, Brown also said he doesn’t like to comment on football matters.
Of course, that policy didn’t stop Brown from commenting strongly on Palmer’s status after the lockout ended.
As explained in our Week Five 10-pack, there’s no reason to trade Palmer within the next week, since the Bengals could get more by launching an auction for Palmer in the offseason. With the Bengals likely to get one or more 2012 draft picks if the trade happens now or later, why not wait until later?
There’s also a chance that the Bengals could get an even better package for Palmer if a team that needs a quarterback can’t get the quarterback the team wants via free agency or the draft.