The Raiders are not afraid to test the theory that good teams are built through the draft.
Following the acquisition of Carson Palmer, the Raiders don’t have a pick in the first four rounds of the 2012 draft. They used three of the picks on the quarterback position alone.
They sent their 2012 first round pick for Palmer. They used their third round pick in the supplemental draft for Terrelle Pryor. And the fourth-round pick was used (smartly) to acquire Jason Campbell during the 2010 draft.
The Raiders also sent their second round pick in a trade during the 2011 draft with the Patriots. (They took Joseph Barksdale and Taiwan Jones in exchange for the picks.)
The Palmer trade is an all-in move. Nothing less than a playoff appearance would be a massive disappointment. This type of investment is all about winning a title this year or soon. Palmer should be the team’s starter, for better or worse, for a while.
Palmer’s history with Raiders coach Hue Jackson is one reason to think it will work. Palmer’s play the last few years is one reason to think it won’t work.
It better work, because the Raiders can’t expect any help on the way from next year’s rookie class.