The Arizona Cardinals were one of the worst teams on offense in the NFL last season and new head coach Bruce Arians is ready to start Drew Stanton at quarterback, although the team could go after Carson Palmer if he is released by the Oakland Raiders.
According to NFL.com, Carson Palmer and the Raiders have been working on restructuring his contract and since the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement, there is a chance he could be released and the Cardinals could be a beneficiary. The report says that Palmer could be a target by Arizona if he is released, as the team would not have to worry about his $13 million salary or using the seventh pick in the draft on a quarterback.
The Raiders have said they are comfortable having Terrelle Pryor be the star5ting quarterback and rumors have said that general manager Reggie McKenzie could draft Geno Smith with the third pick, making Palmer expendable. Arizona Republic's Kent Somers wrote that there is a chance the Cardinals could go after him, although Arians has been quoted saying he is fine with Stanton starting.
The report says that Arians may be saying all that as a smoke screen to stay out of the spotlight with Palmer, but either way he would be a prime option for teams like Arizona, Buffalo and Cleveland if he is released. Adam Schefter at ESPN reported that Palmer is "highly unlikely" to reach an agreement with the Raiders, meaning he will likely be traded or released soon.
Schefter also reported that the team may workout prospect Mike Glennon, who starred at NC State last season and is considered one of the top quarterback options in the draft. "Cardinals GM Steve Keim and Arizona asst. coach Tom Moore are in Raleigh, N.C., to workout North Carolina State QB Mike Glennon on Tuesday," Schefter wrote on Twitter.
Glennon and Palmer would be an upgrade over Stanton at quarterback, as he has not played in the past two seasons. Stanton was a backup with the Colts last season and spent time with the Detroit Lions as a backup before that, getting some spot starts for Matthew Stafford in the process.
The Cardinals have Brian Hoyer on the roster as well as John Skelton and Ryan Lindley, who teamed with Kevin Kolb to give Arizona one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL. The team ranked 28th in passing and Larry Fitzgerald had one of his worst seasons as a pro as the team went 5-11 while losing 11 of their final 12 games of the season.
