After the Raiders traded their 2012 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick for the now 32-year-old quarterback last season, he has to validate the move by getting this team to the playoffs. In order for that to happen, he has to play like the Carson Palmer of old and not as an old Carson Palmer.
Palmer struggled last season in Oakland, throwing more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (13) but that was without the benefit of being with the team at the start of the season and being thrust into action shortly after he was acquired.
Things will be very different in 2012. It is a new organization with new coaches and a new offensive scheme. Greg Knapp is now the offensive coordinator and he has a decent history of working with quarterbacks.
That is not to say that there won't be some challenges Palmer will have to face.
Knapp runs a West Coast style offense that calls for balanced attack. The philosophy starts with running the ball, which will set up the passing game. It also requires the quarterback to be able to move outside of the pocket, something Palmer has not been asked to do as a prototypical pocket quarterback.
"There's really no similarities to anything I've done before, but I love all the boots and play-actions and all the naked (bootlegs) and keepers," Palmer said. "I'm excited to do that and, really, those are things that are going to help the run game."
That is a nice thing to hear coming from a guy who has had his motivation and desire to play questioned in the past.
So what kind of numbers can Palmer put up in 2012?
Palmer has only really lit it up one time in his career in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards, 32 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He had a career...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
