The Oakland Raiders have some big questions heading into the 2013 offseason and the draft in April will be an important starting point for the team as they try to rebuild the roster after a disappointing year.
Quarterback Carson Palmer will also play a big part this offseason, but he may not be in the team's immediate future, as he could be traded after working with the Raiders to restructure his contract. The two sides are reportedly working on a deal, according to ESPN.com, and if the Raiders offer him a reasonable deal, a trade could be possible.
The team and head coach Dennis Allen have expressed their interest in keeping Palmer as the starter heading into training camp, but if the Raiders can't figure out a deal with the quarterback to bring down their salary cap number, both sides could benefit from a trade. The 33-year-old quarterback was acquired for a 2012 first-round pick and a second-round pick in 2013 and his cap number will be $13 million, a high price for the team to have.
If Palmer decides he does not want to take a pay reduction from the team, there is a chance they could trade the quarterback to someone like the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills or Cleveland Browns, three teams that may want to rethink their quarterback position.
Palmer orchestrated a trade in Cincinnati and the Raiders may decide that getting some salary cap relief and some draft picks would be worth dealing the quarterback. Oakland has some options if they decide to go that route, as they have said they want to give more reps to former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
The Raiders could decide to go after a quarterback with the third overall pick in the draft and they are in an excellent position to do so, as the Kansas City Chiefs traded for Alex Smith from the 49ers and are no longer will be looking to draft a player at that position. The team was expected to go after West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, but now will stick with their own Smith, leaving the Raiders in a great spot to take him.
Depending on how the negotiations go between the two sides, Palmer could end up in Arizona, where he would be a major upgrade over John Skelton, Kevin Kolb and Ryan Lindley, who combined to give the team one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald would welcome someone like Palmer and could have some influence if a deal were to be on the table.
The Raiders would love to get $9 million in cap relief and could feel comfortable moving forward with Pryor and possibly Geno Smith. Palmer had 4,018 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Raiders, who went 4-12, finishing ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC West.
