The Cincinnati Bengals have traded Carson Palmer for Dre Kirkpatrick.
With the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the pick the Bengals got from the Raiders when they traded Palmer last season, Cincinnati picked up Kirkpatrick, the Alabama cornerback who should be prepared to start in Cincinnati from Day One.
Cornerback is a definite position of need for the Bengals, so the choice is no surprise. The Bengals reached deals with Terence Newman, Pacman Jones and Jason Allen this offseason, but they’ll hope Kirkpatrick can beat them all out and be a starter in their defense.
Kirkpatrick was arrested for marijuana possession in January, which raised some concerns, but those charges were dismissed in February. The Bengals obviously weren’t too concerned, because he’s their top pick.