According to Carson Palmer, he cannot play football forever. The quarterback had a slight resurgence in his first season with the Cardinals, leading Arizona to an impressive 2013. However, Palmer is not the long-term option for Arizona, but merely a top-gap player to get them through a few bad players in the past. With Palmer being owed money in the 2015 offseason, the Cardinals are prepared to start looking for another quarterback to develop sooner rather than later, a move the veteran says he understands completely.
Palmer is getting $9 million this upcoming season. He will be due an extension in the coming offseason, something the Cardinals might not be willing to shell out. Palmer is fully aware the Cardinals are starting to weigh their options for the future when it comes to who is under center and the quarterback says he is totally fine with Arizona drafting another option.
"If you are in a position to draft the best player on your board, and that's the best position to be in as an organization, and (a quarterback) is the best player on the board, you are not only making your team better by creating competition but you are helping out the future," Palmer said, via the team's official website. I know I'm not going to play forever. It's hard for us players to admit that. The older you get the harder it is to admit it. You don't see it happening. You still feel good, you still feel confident, you still feel healthy. But that's the reality. That's the business. It doesn't matter how you feel about it, whether it irks you or you don't care. That's the game."
The issue is how does Arizona go about getting a new quarterback. The Cardinals will not make their first selection until No. 20. That will leave them out of the running for Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and possibly Teddy Bridgewater. Some mock drafts have the later falling to the Cardinals, but that appears unlikely given Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Minnesota are all projected to draft a passer in the first round. The team has worked out several first-round options, but could be better suited to make a trade instead of trying to draft a first-round player.
Currently up for grabs, Terrelle Pryor could easily move over to the Cardinals. The current Oakland Raiders quarterback is prepared to be released at the end of the month if a deal is not made soon. He has plenty of experience working under Palmer since the two were a tandem with the Raiders just a season ago. A trade for Pryor would come very cheap for the Cardinals, as would a contract if the quarterback were released. The team could likely sign him for cheaper than a rookie.
Another option could be a deal for Christian Ponder. The current Vikings some-time starter is on the market if the right deal comes along. Minnesota does not appear set on releasing Ponder just yet, but could after the NFL Draft. A trade for Ponder would not be cheap given he was a former first-round pick, but he will sign for much less if released.
The Cardinals could try and trade up for a first-round option, but that would be a waste with Palmer already on the roster. Look for Arizona to explore options in the trade market or draft a rookie in a later to potentially take over for Palmer in a season or two.
