The Oakland Raider have been stuck in a period of decline for some time now, but heading into the 2013 offseason, the team is actually in a very favorable position to set themselves up for the future at the quarterback position.
The team currently has Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor as their main two quarterbacks and with the third overall pick in this April's NFL draft, the team could make some moves that would enable them to be a contending team in just a few short years. The front office is currently working with Palmer to restructure his deal to save cap space, but if the quarterback takes a hard line with the team, general manager Reggie McKenzie could decide to trade him for more draft picks, or even someone like Tim Tebow to help bolster the roster.
Although Tebow doesn't seem to make much sense with the Raiders, if the team were to trade Palmer, they would need some type of backup and since Pryor is more of a mobile quarterback, Tebow could be a good fit and could enter games in special plays or situations, much like he was supposed to do when the Jets acquired him.
Adding more intrigue to the whole situation is Pryor, who said this past week that he was "more than ready" to compete for the starting position and to prove to the team that he can start. If the Raiders feel comfortable handing the reins over to Pryor, who had one start and threw for 150 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in week 17, they could trade Palmer for draft picks or Tebow and move on in the future.
Another scenario for the team involves the draft and could enable the Raiders to set themselves up with a franchise player if they take Geno Smith from West Virginia, a player that threw 25 touchdowns last season before throwing his first interception. The third pick should be a great spot for Smith, since the Chiefs at number one already have a quarterback in Alex Smith and the Jaguars are expected to take someone on defense or the offensive line.
The Raiders finished 4-12 last season and didn't do anything particularly well, except they ranked eighth in passing yards per game, mostly because they were coming from behind so much. The team opened the season 1-4 before winning two games in a row, and then they totally fell apart and lost eight of their final nine games, including the finale against the Chargers.
Oakland is in a position to take a risk because they don't have much to lose and if they trade Palmer for draft picks or Tebow, they still can fall back on their third pick to draft a quarterback or another position of need.
The Raiders could trade Palmer to the Jets, as they need a new starter after what happened to Mark Sanchez last season or they could decide to make a deal with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, two teams that enter next season with question marks at quarterback.