Before this turns into another Carson bitch sessions let’s also point out that on Palmer’s worst day he’s still better than 50% of the stiffs that call signals in the NFL (just don’t tell that to Ron Jaworski).

Jan 1, 2012, Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws a pass against the San Diego Chargers at the O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

With Palmer there are certain allowances that must be made. Just take a look at his performance against Denver last season. In that game you pretty much saw all that Palmer has to offer. From his unreal TD toss to Marcel Reece to his overthrow of a wide open Denarius Moore it was all on display – the good and the bad of Palmer.

Palmer’s good is still good enough to border on great. That’s the good news.

The bad news is his bad is bordering on Rex Grossman awful.

Somewhere in between is where Dennis Allen needs his QB to be this season.

Unlike Jason Campbell, Palmer is completely unafraid of taking risks. That’s a great thing when you’ve got the weapons Palmer has around him. As much as I loved JC his paint-by-numbers approach just didn’t allow Oakland’s offense to be all it could. With Palmer pushing the pedal to the metal you feel like this team is on the verge of becoming a top 5 offense.

Of course with that mentality also comes some Favre-ian moments. Palmer’s placement of his high risk passes isn’t always the best and when your margin for error is none then…well…you just can’t err at all. That goes without saying.

So the real question now is how will Greg Knapp’s play calling get the most out of Palmer while also minimizing his tendency to try and do the impossible?

The reality is no matter Knapp’s play calling if Palmer sees a window to throw into then he’s going to make like a paperboy on a Friday and throw it without thinking twice.

That’s why Allen, Knapp and Raider Nation as a whole will just have to accept the good and bad of Palmer. The hope is simply that the good outweighs the bad. He might not be in the Aaron Rodgers category but he’s not anywhere near the Charlie Frye zone. Somewhere in between is a quarterback capable of leading a highly productive offense. The key is getting him to take calculated risks while also knowing when to just toss it out of bounds, take a sack or (God forbid) check it down.

If he can stay healthy, McFadden will become one of the elite playmakers in football. His teammates know it cause they get to see him do it in practice on a daily basis. That’s why they’ve voted him as a team captain this season.

What makes McFadden different from most game breakers in the NFL is that he’s not some speed demon looking to dance his way into the end zone. McFadden is a football player to the core. He looks for contact and loves to deliver punishment. We’re not just talking about the times he’s got the rock either. McFadden freely sacrifices his body for the benefit of others.

Don’t believe me though. Check the game tape.

One such instance occurred a couple years ago during the final game of the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens. With little more than pride and a healthy offseason to play for, McFadden threw a punishing block on Haolti Ngata in order to protect a scrambling Charlie Frye.
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It’s much easier to talk about all the things Bruce Gradkowski isn’t but damned near impossible not to mention what he is – a true competitor.

Gradkowski arrived in Oakland as a third stringer competing with Charlie Frye for a roster spot. By the end of his first preseason in Oakland he made Jeff Garcia expendable and by the end of his first regular season as a Raider he helped usher JaMarcus into retirement.

Today Gradkowski made his exit from Oakland official by accepting a two-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ironically it was The Big Gradkowski who led the Raiders to a dramatic victory over the Cincy Cats just two years ago.
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