SEATTLE, Wash. — There was little doubt that TCU rookie quarterback Andy Dalton(notes) would be taking the reins of the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense in 2011 — with team owner Mike Brown(notes) and former franchise quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) at loggerheads about where Palmer would ply his trade in the future and Palmer threatening to retire, the move was made to take Dalton in the second round of the draft and bring him along on a team that has had two winning seasons in the last 20 years.

In other words, not much was expected. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been the bullies of the AFC North for long enough, and most everyone expected that to continue this season. What very few people did expect was for the Bengals to get off to a 4-2 start, nipping at the heels of the Ravens and Steelers while those two teams developed issues of their own. All of a sudden, the Pittsburgh run defense has been vulnerable for the first time in about 50 years, and Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco(notes) has been regressing at an alarming rate. The Bengals are tied with the Ravens in the division, one game behind the Steelers, and they still get to face each “big brother” twice this season.

Cincinnati’s been propelled to these new heights with a tremendous defense coached by the brilliant Mike Zimmer, and rookie receiver A.J. Green(notes) has moments where he’s basically uncoverable. But as much as anyone, it has been Dalton — the spread offense quarterback with the questionable arm — who has turned the team around. Dalton currently ranks 17^th in Football Outsiders’ DYAR efficiency metrics, which puts him above Flacco, Jay Cutler(notes), Josh Freeman(notes), Sam Bradford(notes) and other esteemed hurlers of the rock. The traditional stats look pretty good as well — 118 completions in 189 attempts for a 62.4 completion percentage, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Hardly earth-shattering, but good enough to help a team that has been surprisingly above-average in other areas.

Head coach Marvin Lewis, who was front and center for the drama between Brown and Palmer, said on Wednesday that Dalton’s progression as a passer has mirrored — but not necessarily exceeded — his own expectations. “He’s doing very well. He continues to play within himself, [which is] what we kind of expected. Each and every week he does the things that you want him to do — taking care of the football and giving us an opportunity to win the football game.”

What made Dalton the right choice, even as Lewis and the team had to know there would be a very good chance Dalton would be starting right away?

“I think just all of the time that we spent with Andy,” Lewis said. “We felt like his maturity, his experience with playing, the way he’s handled every situation he’s ever been in, how he carried himself, how he learned football — he went right into college and became the starter as a freshman. The game has not been too big for him.”

On Wednesday, Green was asked just what it’s been about Dalton that’s surprised; in his case, the perception has been outstripped by the reality. “Yeah, I hear a lot of people saying that,” Green said, when asked if he’s been told that rookie quarterbacks aren’t “supposed to” be playing this well. “Just his poise in the pocket and the way he conducts himself on and off the field, the way he goes out there and works every day and he’s never rattled.  He’s poised out there no matter what’s going on … he’s always been that way.”

Perhaps the most surprising stat of Dalton’s young career is the fact that he’s already managed 12 passes of 25 yards or more. Given the (mostly accurate) perception that he was a bit noodle-armed in college, it’s been a surprise to see him roll deep as much as he has. Dalton has thrown a few floaters, but with a receiver like Green in tow, there’s always a good chance that good things will happen if the ball’s in his vicinity.

“I think he just feels confident in me that if there’s a one-on-one [situation], that I can go make the plays.” Green said. “That starts off in practice, giving him the confidence just to lob it up there and see if I can make the play. All of this starts in practice.”

Green leads all rookie receivers with 29 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns.

Most thought that when Dalton went to the Bengals, and new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden fixed a West Coast offense game plan on him, that he’d be more about dink-and-dunk, and yards after the catch. In truth, Dalton’s receivers have accounted for just 549 of his passing yards — that’s 41.8 percent of his total. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees(notes) leads the league with 1,229 yards after catch, and that’s a full 49.6 percent of his league-leading 2,477 yards. In that regard and others, Dalton has impressed.

Of course, there’s still work to be done — Dalton is good for a first-down conversion on just 29.1 percent of the third-down passes he throws, one of the lowest figures in the league. By comparison, Brees gets it done a league-leading 56.7 percent of the time on third down.

But as Lewis said, Gruden’s focus in a balanced offensive attack has greatly enhanced Dalton’s situation — that’s one of the reasons the Bengals hired the brother of Jon Gruden and former Arena League quarterback.

“I think the thing that I was looking for is we were interested in trying to find a way to mesh our run and pass game together,” Lewis said of Gruden’s expertise. “I think that’s the hardest part to defend, when you take a look at opposing offenses — teams that do a great job of packaging the runs and the passes together and all the things that come off of it as they set up their plan. I think that was important, number one. Secondly, that you felt comfortable utilizing young players. In Jay’s vision the offense unfolds through the quarterback and I think that has been really helpful. That was another real positive.”

The Bengals are traveling to Seattle for a game against the Seahawks this Sunday, and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll won’t have to do much in the way of advance scouting on Dalton — Seattle was very high on the rookie all the way through the pre-draft process.

“I met with them at the Senior Bowl and maybe one other time,” Dalton said on Wednesday. “I had talked with them a couple of times. They did show some interest. I thought I had a chance of going there, especially at the end of the first round. I knew there was definitely some potential there, but it didn’t work out.”

After inconsistent performances from Tarvaris Jackson(notes) this season and an epically bad start by backup Charlie Whitehurst(notes) last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Carroll may have wondered, in retrospect, whether his team was better off having drafted right tackle James Carpenter(notes) with the 25^th overall pick.

“We really liked him,” Carroll said. “We liked everything about him. We did en extensive study on him to make sure we had a really good sense. The thing that’s really cool about what Andy’s done is he’s just like he was in college. He’s demonstrated that he’s going to get better and better, but the thing he already has is great timing. He hasn’t been intimidated by the challenges of [the NFL] — he’s brought his game with him.”

Carroll also said that it was more important for the Seahawks to establish more of a presence on the offensive line in that draft, and it’s a valid point — Dalton behind Seattle’s 2010 patchwork line would be a very different quarterback than he is behind a more established group.

If he manages to help the Bengals to their fourth straight win, Dalton would accomplish several things — further make his mark as a rookie, put his team closer to a divisional pole position not seen in years, and also leave the losing coach with a bit more envy than usual.

All in a day’s work for a young quarterback who seems to have a preternatural ability to handle the next level of pressure.

Related: Josh Freeman, Joe Flacco, Charlie Whitehurst, Tarvaris Jackson, Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Mike Brown, Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Sam Bradford, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers

As a longtime resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a huge fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, there have been many wonderful moments for my hometown team. The Cincinnati Bengals might be considered the laughingstock of the NFL by some, but for me they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch. Here are the top five moments of the Cincinnati Bengals, from a fan’s perspective.

Quarterback Ken Anderson Breaks NFL Record

One of my favorite moments as a Cincinnati Bengals fan happened November 10, 1984, when the Cincinnati Bengals hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at Riverfront Stadium. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense, known as the Steel Curtain, was unstoppable that year, but Ken Anderson managed to break through. Ken broke an NFL record that day for completion percentage, hitting 20 out of his 22 passes. This was a great moment in Cincinnati Bengals history because no one ever thought that Ken would break that NFL record, especially against such a great team as the Pittsburgh Steelers. What is even better about Ken breaking the NFL record for completion percentage is that the Cincinnati Bengals won the game 17-10.

The Freezer Bowl

Nothing says Cincinnati Bengals more than freezing cold temperatures in Cincinnati, Ohio, which happens most of the winter. The AFC Championship Game was played between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Diego Chargers, on January 10, 1982, in the Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverfront Stadium. As they say, this game was for all of the marbles, because the winner would advance to the Super Bowl. The game was dubbed the Freezer Bowl since the temperatures were between -37 and -51 degrees Celsius, which made it the coldest game in NFL history, in terms of wind chill. This was one of the greatest moments ever for the Cincinnati Bengals because the entire offensive line played the game with bare arms and bare hands, to mentally mess with the San Diego Chargers, and it seemed to work pretty well. I thought this was just one of the most comical NFL games ever, because it was so cold, but the Cincinnati Bengals could not care less. It also ranks in the top five moments because the Cincinnati Bengals went onto win the game 27-7, and advanced to the Super Bowl.

Sam Wyche Makes a Bold Statement

As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, it is only fitting to include the famous statement from former head coach Sam Wyche. It was December 10, 1989, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, against the Seattle Seahawks, when Sam delivered a statement that has stood the test of time. The Cincinnati Bengals were down in the second half, of what was supposed to be a blowout of the 5-8 Seattle Seahawks, so the crowd was getting restless and angry. As the crowd grew more frustrated the fans all decided to pelt the Seattle Seahawks team with snowballs. Sam saw what was going on, and after talking to officials, ran up the field and grabbed the microphone of announcer Tom Kinder. Sam then said “”Will the next person who sees anybody throw anything on that field, point him out and get him out of here?” He then famously proclaimed, “You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati.” Although the Cincinnati Bengals lost that game in a devastating fashion 24-17, the statement by Sam was what everyone left the game remembering. The loss might not be considered a great moment for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the energy and heartfelt declaration from Sam was a wonderful moment. To see a head coach proclaim something in this manner during a game showed that he truly cared about his team and the way the fans were behaving. This was a defining moment for Sam, his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, and a moment of realization for the fans, which has lived on through time as being inspirational.

Mike Brown(notes) Trades Former Quarterback Carson Palmer(notes)

In what might seem like a sad ending to a promising career, former quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Carson Palmer was finally traded on October 18, 2011, to the Oakland Raiders. The Cincinnati Bengals will receive a first round pick in 2012, and then a second round pick in 2013. This stands out to me as a great moment because Mike was finally able to put his stubbornness and spite aside for the betterment of the team, well one can only hope he betters the team with these draft picks. The Carson and Mike saga had been going on way too long here in Cincinnati, Ohio, and no one really was choosing sides, since both of these grown men were acting like children. I consider this a fantastic moment because not only did Mike put aside his personal feelings on the matter, but a first round pick and second round pick, is far beyond what I could ever have imagined would come out of a trade. Some are calling this a joke and just insane, but as a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, this was one of the best moments in history. Plus, fans can now put Carson behind and focus on the future, instead of worrying about a possible trade or Carson blindsiding the team and coming back.

The Cincinnati Bengals Sweep Division in 2009

As a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, the time when the team swept the entire AFC North in 2009 will go down as one of the best moments ever. The entire 2009 season seemed unpredictable and was a rollercoaster as a fan, but the divisional games were definitely the highlight. This will go down as one of the best moments for a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, since this was the first time the team had ever went undefeated within the division before. The Cincinnati Bengals were 6-0 against their division rivals, some of the hardest teams in the NFL, including the Pittsburgh Steelers. Games against divisional rivals are always tough and exciting, but for the Cincinnati Bengals to sweep them all, it was fantastic. As a fan, I hope that this is not the only time I will remember the Cincinnati Bengals going 6-0 in the division, but it was something I will never forget.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The worst organization in sports —- The Cincinnati Bengals —- with one of the worst owners in sports —- Mike Brown — is now getting love from the flock in Cincinnati.

Those same fans that slammed Brown for being cheap, allowing first-round picks to miss most of camp in contract disputes, are now giving praise for trading Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders.

This is the same Brown who said he would hold his ground and not trade Palmer, despite his demands.

One of the best columnist in the country, Paul Daugherty of Cincinnati.com, writes how this is the finest hour in Brown’s history.

Click here for the applause.

Let me repeat that, given that charity toward the Bengals president hasn’t exactly been a hallmark of my 23 seasons here: It was his finest hour.

In return for a 31-year-old QB with an injury history – a QB who was in the team’s tail lights, regardless – the Bengals got the Raiders first-round pick in 2012 and potentially their first-rounder in 2013. 
Brown could have held fast, refused to deal Palmer even as his stand hurt his team. Instead, he put personal feelings aside for the betterment of his club. It was his finest hour. 

Finest hour? Maybe. But it’s the rest of the time Bungals Bengals fans need to worry about.

 

 

(NewsCore) – The Cincinnati Bengals traded quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2012 draft and a second-round pick in 2013.

The teams announced the move shortly after the NFL trade deadline passed at 4:00pm ET.

On being introduced to the media as a Raider on Tuesday night, Palmer said he was getting ready for the transition into retirement when Oakland coach Hue Jackson contacted him.

Palmer, 31, demanded a trade out of Cincinnati after the team went 4-12 last season, but Bengals owner Mike Brown refused to move him. The former Pro Bowler had maintained he would rather retire than play another game for the Bengals.

“For the past six weeks I thought I was retired,” Palmer said. “Week one hit and I thought, ‘I’ve got to look elsewhere and find what the next phase of my life might be.’ Then I got the text from Hue.”

He added, “I’m ready to go. I’m excited … I’m excited to be a part of this organization.”

The 2013 draft pick could become a first-rounder depending on whether the Raiders go to the AFC Championship game.

Jackson described the deal as “the greatest trade in football.”

“As far as the draft picks, what we have to give up, I never hesitated because I know exactly what I’m getting,” the former Bengals assistant said.

Brown pointed to the stellar play of rookie Andy Dalton, who has guided the Bengals to a 4-2 start, along with the valuable pair of draft picks in explaining his decision to part with Palmer.

“Several factors made us believe that trading Carson to Oakland was the best move for the Bengals at this time. The principal development has been Andy Dalton, who has shown himself to be one of the best and most exciting young quarterbacks in the NFL,” Brown said in a statement, reported by the NFL Network.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team. When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward,” Brown added.

The 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, who was drafted first overall by Cincinnati in 2003, threw for 3,970 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, but also racked up an AFC-worst 20 interceptions.

Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell suffered a broken clavicle in Sunday’s 24-17 win over Cleveland, as Oakland improved its record to 4-2. The 29-year-old said Monday he would undergo surgery with the hope of returning in six weeks.

Campbell was replaced by veteran Kyle Boller, who completed eight of 14 passes for 100 yards.

The Raiders announced Palmer will wear No. 3 with the team, though it is unclear what his role will be for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m not gonna let that out of the bag just yet,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to be ready for anything. We’ll see later in the week.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders made a bold move to replace injured quarterback Jason Campbell on Tuesday, trading two high draft picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Carson Palmer.

Coach Hue Jackson paid a high price to acquire a quarterback he knows well but who has struggled in recent years and refused to report the Bengals this season despite being under contract through 2014.

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” he said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title. Palmer tore up his left knee during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh that season.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Anytime you have an opportunity to acquire someone of Carson’s pedigree I don’t think it’s something that you can pass up on.”

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer. Then came the offer from the Raiders.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders made a bold move to replace injured quarterback Jason Campbell on Tuesday, trading two high draft picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Carson Palmer.

Coach Hue Jackson paid a high price to acquire a quarterback he knows well but who has struggled in recent years and refused to report the Bengals this season despite being under contact through 2014.

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Bengals owner Mike Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” Brown said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title.

Pittsburgh’s Kimo von Oelhoffen crashed into his left knee after he threw his first pass in a first-round playoff game. The Bengals lost, and Palmer needed reconstructive knee surgery.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

“I think guys respect him,” he added. “You realize that he didn’t want to be here and he didn’t believe in this place, and you go forward. You still respect him as a friend and the years we put in together, but you realize that he just made a choice he felt was best for him and his family.”

If the Raiders hadn’t made a first-round pick as part of its offer, the Bengals were content to let Palmer sit out the entire season and consider trading him next year. Campbell’s injury changed the scenario.

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated that there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer, who led the Bengals to their only two winning seasons in the last 20 years.

Running back Cedric Benson wasn’t surprised Brown made an abrupt about-face.

“The NFL is a business and deals get done,” Benson said. “In business, oftentimes things are said and they’re very rarely ever meant. So I’m sure the right deal presented itself.”

The Bengals had been adamant about not trading Palmer, who wanted to be dealt from a team that has had only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Owner Mike Brown repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t consider Palmer’s request for a trade because he didn’t want to reward him for holding out. He changed his mind after the Raiders offered a 2012 first-round pick and a second-rounder in 2013 for the 31-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders (4-2) became desperate for a quarterback after Campbell broke his collarbone during a win over the Browns on Sunday. Campbell had surgery Monday and was expected to miss at least six weeks, leaving the Raiders with only Kyle Boller and Terrelle Pryor on the roster.

Jackson’s mantra all season has been “the time is now,” and he backed that up by dealing for Palmer, who is coming off a 20-interception season last year with the Bengals.

Brown said the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton made it easier to trade Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come,” he said in a statement. “When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could.”

Palmer, who had been working out in Southern California, already reported to the Raiders’ facility and will immediately start learning the offense. Oakland hosts Kansas City on Sunday and then has a bye week.

While Palmer has not played or practiced since last season, he has a history with Jackson, who was his offensive coordinator for two years at USC and the wide receivers coach for three seasons in Cincinnati.

Jackson was with the Bengals when Palmer had his best season in 2005 when he threw for 3,836 yards with 32 touchdown passes and a 101.1 rating while leading the team to an AFC North title. Palmer tore up his left knee during a playoff loss to Pittsburgh that season.

He came back and had two solid seasons before partially tearing a ligament and tendon in his passing elbow during the 2008 season. He has not been an elite quarterback since, despite getting back to the playoffs in 2009.

Over the past two years, Palmer completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 7,064 yards, 47 touchdowns, 33 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.9 while posting a 14-18 record. Those numbers are comparable to what Campbell has done since the start of the 2009 season.

But the Raiders were not willing to trust their playoff chances with Boller, who had not started a game since 2009 and had lost his previous 10 starts since October 2007, or Pryor, a project who will need time before he can be an NFL quarterback.

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber,” Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Anytime you have an opportunity to acquire someone of Carson’s pedigree I don’t think it’s something that you can pass up on.”

This is the second trade the Raiders have made since the death of longtime owner Al Davis, who also served as general manager and oversaw the entire football operation. Jackson dealt last week for former No. 4 overall pick in 2009, linebacker Aaron Curry from Seattle.

The trade leaves the Raiders with picks only in the fifth and sixth round in next year’s draft. They traded their second-rounder during April’s draft to New England for the picks to draft offensive lineman Joe Barksdale and running back Taiwan Jones. They used their third-rounder to take Pryor in the supplemental draft in August. They traded their fourth-rounder in 2010 to get Campbell and the seventh-rounder for Curry.

Oakland is expecting to get compensatory picks after losing Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Thomas Howard and Bruce Gradkowski in free agency.

The Bengals (4-2) have started well with Dalton taking Palmer’s place. The message board by the entrance to the Bengals’ locker room Tuesday had an anonymous scrawled message: “Let My People Goooooo!” Otherwise, there wasn’t much reaction from a team that had moved on from Palmer a long time ago.

“I don’t think even one player in this locker room’s even thought about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “We haven’t worried about it. We’ve gone forward with the guys we have and tried to play as good as we can and that’s all we can do.”

The Bengals severed ties with Palmer when the season started and he didn’t show up, giving his locker to Dalton, a second-round draft pick.

As recently as Monday afternoon, coach Marvin Lewis reiterated there was no change in the team’s position regarding Palmer. Then came the offer from the Raiders.

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AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

CINCINNATI — Despite rumors of possible trades, the man who would decide if and when the Cincinnati Bengals would part ways with Carson Palmer isn’t talking.”I don’t have a thing to say about that,” Bengals owner Mike Brown told NFL.com when asked about trading Palmer while attending the league’s fall meetings this week.Palmer, who has asked to be traded and threatened to retire if he’s not, is currently listed on the team’s reserve/did not report list. The strongest rumors so far have had Palmer being traded to Miami or Seattle.Some experts believe that the Bengals are unlikely to trade Palmer before the Oct. 18 deadline because at this point, no team is desperate enough to give the Bengals what they want. The team is seeking a first- or second-round draft pick, media have reported.“It would be an option to trade any player, but we have not looked that far ahead,” Brown told Bengals.com of trading him before the 2012 draft. “I’m not focused on it.”It’s thought that the Bengals will likely wait until next spring to see if anyone needing a quarterback fails to get one in the draft.Without Palmer, the Bengals are already a win away from equaling last season’s total. Rookie Andy Dalton has led the team to comeback victories twice this season.”He’s our quarterback now and doing very well,” Brown told Bengals.com. “I’m pleased with how he’s doing and I think he can be the guy here.”

CINCINNATI — After their third win of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals are moving up in the power rankings.Remember when ESPN ranked the Bengals last in the pre-season poll? Now, ESPN places them at No. 20., noting that all three of the Bengals wins have come in fourth quarter comebacks.
ProFootballTalk was even more generous to the Bengals, giving them a No. 14 power ranking, up from No. 21 a week ago.PFT added a note about the team’s former quarterback, saying, “Somewhere, Carson Palmer is sitting on the floor of a room, turning a lamp on and off repeatedly.” Palmer is unofficially retired after the team refused to trade him at the end of last season.The Bengals’ highest-quality win of the season came against the Buffalo Bills, which are still ranked in the top 10 by both sports news outlets. The Jaguars and Browns, who comprise the Bengals’ other two wins, are both ranked below Cincinnati in both polls.

The NFL trading deadline will arrive on Oct. 18 and it’s looking like it’ll pass without Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) moving on to another team, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Palmer, of course, hasn’t played a down for the Bengals this season since he said in the offseason that he’s done playing for Cincy and will retire if the team doesn’t trade him. No trade or retirement papers have appeared yet — and neither appears to be on the horizon, either.

Bengals owner Mike Brown(notes) has said that he doesn’t plan on giving in to Palmer. And it’s looking like he’s a man of his word.

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Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

Related: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals

In the (latest) curious case of Cedric Benson, the Cincinnati Bengals need their guy. And they need an answer.

If the Bengals are going to make anything out of this season, they need Benson to be a big part of doing so. Benson’s appeal of his three-game NFL suspension, which was heard Tuesday in New York, could set an important precedent because Benson was subjected to a penalty for off-field conduct during the NFL lockout when other repeat offenders weren’t.

In the here and now, though, the Bengals really could use some positive news. And what’s been an ultra-conservative and inconsistent Bengals offense needs its workhorse. Losing Benson for three games might force the Bengals into planning for another top-four draft selection before Halloween.

The Bengals are certainly no strangers to uncertainty and drama, so not knowing if Benson can play Sunday against unbeaten Buffalo is nothing new. But it’s far from ideal, as is not knowing if he’ll ultimately be gone for three games, fewer than three or none at all.

The NFL didn’t rule on Benson’s appeal Tuesday, and there’s no timetable for a decision. Like last week’s bizarre case of starting wide receiver Jerome Simpson having to answer for a shipment of marijuana from California to his home, another distraction looms. Benson already served five days in jail for his latest assault arrest, leaving the team in the final week of the preseason and returning five days before the opener.

With a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton and a rookie offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden, the Bengals re-signed Benson in August with the intent of letting him lead the way. Benson has 14 100-yard games since signing with the Bengals midway through the 2008 season, and the Bengals are 11-2 when he gets 25 or more carries in a game.

Gruden wants the game plan to start with Benson, and he’d like games to end with the Bengals leading and Benson killing the clock. Benson got 25 carries and 121 yards in their lone win this season, Week 1 in Cleveland. He only got 17 carries for 64 yards last week in a less-than-memorable 13-8 loss to San Francisco.

The only other running backs on the roster are Brian Leonard, who’s been mostly a third-down specialist, and Bernard Scott, who’s done little to show he can be an every-down back. Scott played well subbing for an injured Benson as a rookie in ’09, including a 119-yard game in Oakland. But he’s been little more than a role player since and has eight carries for 23 yards this season.

Just in case Benson has to miss three games and the Bengals are playing significant games during that time, the team worked out Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis on Tuesday. Johnson is creeping up on 32 years old. Portis just turned 30 and has played in just 13 games in the past two years. For a playoff team, there’s a chance one or the other could be a decent short-term insurance policy. But to still play at a consistently high level? Probably not.

Last week, the Bengals worked out younger backs James Davis and Tyrell Sutton. Both might still have some NFL football left in them and be able to help a team, but it’s unlikely either ever will be a No. 1 runner.

At 1-2, the Bengals’ season is far from over. But it was in Week 4 last year when the Bengals dropped a winnable game in Cleveland and ended up losing 10 straight, not winning again until almost Christmas. And Sunday brings a chance to score a momentum-changing upset over the Bills and set the stage for some winnable games ahead — as the next two are at Jacksonville and at home vs. Indianapolis before a bye week.

It would be nice to have Benson available and get him rolling in those games. For now, it would be just as good for the Bengals to get some clarity on the situation.

CINCINNATI – They know what fans think of them, and it’s not very much. There’s talk of an 0-16 season in Cincinnati, another year of setting new franchise lows with the same owner and coach presiding over a new cast of players.

How could the Bengals’ ignore it?

Better yet, how do they stop it?

Win one in Cleveland.

The Bengals could prove — for one week, anyway — that they’re not the worst team in Ohio, let alone the worst in the league. The intrastate rivalry on Sunday provides a chance to end all the talk about being No. 32 in the NFL.

“We haven’t really talked about that,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “It hasn’t really been our focus. But I would hope every competitor in here knows that and realizes that’s how people think about them, and that’s the way we have to fight.

“It’s no different than any other year. The teams that go out fighting the hardest and want it the most are going to win, and we’ve got to be one of those teams.”

The Bengals put up a good fight last season, but kept self-destructing with turnovers and penalties and botched plays during a 4-12 season that wasn’t the league’s worst. Carolina got that honour, going 2-14 while the Bengals finished with the same mark as Denver and Buffalo.

Much of the pessimism comes from the off-season.

Coach Marvin Lewis played out his contract, looking for signs that the front office was committed to doing what is needed to win. Then, he agreed to stay even though owner Mike Brown said there would be no significant change in how the team operates.

A week later, franchise quarterback Carson Palmer threw in the towel, saying he’d rather retire than finish his contract with the Bengals. Disgruntled receiver Terrell Owens left as a free agent, and receiver Chad Ochocinco was traded to New England.

The Bengals are left with one of their greenest offences ever for a season opener. Second-round pick Andy Dalton will become the first Bengals rookie quarterback to start an opener since 1969, the team’s second year. First-round pick A.J. Green is the top receiver. Fourth-round pick Clint Boling starts at right guard in place of suspended Bobbie Williams. Tight end Jermaine Gresham and slot receiver Jordan Shipley are starting their second seasons.

That’s a lot of inexperience.

“We have a lot of young players,” running back Cedric Benson said. “But we’re strong in the offensive line. We’ve got one adjustment there (Boling). We’re strong in the backfield. But we’re still growing. It’s a great opportunity for us to come together.”

The Browns weren’t much better last year, going 5-11 to finish one spot ahead in the AFC North. The teams split their series, each winning at home. The Browns took the first game 23-20 in October, while the Bengals broke a 10-game losing streak with their 19-17 win at Paul Brown Stadium in December.

The newcomers will get their first experience with the Dawg Pound and the rivalry on Sunday afternoon.

“I know a little bit about it,” Dalton said. “We are definitely going to know when we are on the Dawg Pound side of the field. We’ll have to know when we can use silent counts and different things like that. It will be fun to get to know a lot more about it and be a part of it.”

Ochocinco loved to taunt the Browns and the Dawg Pound. He sent Pepto-Bismol to some Browns players one year, and did a leap into the Dawg Pound after a touchdown, only to get doused with beer and jeers. None of the current receivers is inclined to take on the Pound.

“I don’t think so, but we’re hoping our guys are spending plenty of time in their end zone,” Whitworth said. “That’s what we hope.”

The first half of the season provides the best chance for Cincinnati to show it’s not the worst. The Bengals’ first four opponents — Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco and Buffalo — were a combined 19-45 last season. Only one of the first eight opponents had a winning record last season — Indianapolis, which has problems after losing quarterback Peyton Manning.

The chance is there.”We’ve got a lot to prove, there’s no doubt about it,” Whitworth said. “So I think guys are more worried about what we have to prove than what people think about them.”

CINCINNATI –

Left tackle Andrew Whitworth got a two-year contract extension on Wednesday that could keep him with the Cincinnati Bengals through 2015.

The deal recognizes his standing as the team’s best offensive lineman and one of its leaders. He’s the first Bengals player to get a contract extension since the NFL lockout ended.

“You want to extend the guys who you know are committed to the program,” Whitworth said. “It’s good to see the hard work you put in and to be able to get it to work for both sides.”

Whitworth was a second-round draft pick in 2006, when he moved into the starting lineup. He emerged as one of the league’s best tackles the last two seasons, when he started every game.

He was a team captain and a representative to the players’ union. He assumed a leadership role during the NFL lockout, helping to organize workouts in Cincinnati.

“Whit is a very fine player and also a team leader, so this is obviously good news for our team,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “It’s good to get this done before the regular season begins.”

CINCINNATI (AP) — Left tackle Andrew Whitworth got a two-year contract extension on Wednesday that could keep him with the Cincinnati Bengals through 2015.

The deal recognizes his standing as the team’s best offensive lineman and one of its leaders. He’s the first Bengals player to get a contract extension since the NFL lockout ended.

“You want to extend the guys who you know are committed to the program,” Whitworth said. “It’s good to see the hard work you put in and to be able to get it to work for both sides.”

Whitworth was a second-round draft pick in 2006, when he moved into the starting lineup. He emerged as one of the league’s best tackles the last two seasons, when he started every game.

He was a team captain and a representative to the players’ union. He assumed a leadership role during the NFL lockout, helping to organize workouts in Cincinnati.

“Whit is a very fine player and also a team leader, so this is obviously good news for our team,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “It’s good to get this done before the regular season begins.”

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