Unlike in other sports, NFL football trades are typically few and far between, and when they do happen, it's rarely a blockbuster. When the Oakland Raiders agreed to give up their first round draft pick in 2012, and a conditional 2nd round pick in 2013, they basically told everyone that was listening "We're going to win now!" So now Hue Jackson is hitching his wagon to what some people are calling a has been.

Hue Jackson has said that Al Davis had trained him on how to run the team, and just like Al, he made a deal that he believed would propel his franchise back to greatness. Al Davis and the Raiders have never been shy about giving up draft picks to acquire top rate talent, even when that talent is in its later years. Carson Palmer is no spring chicken in NFL years at 31. He hasn't been a really good quarterback in the league since 2006. Palmer was clearly the best player that was out there, and when healthy can be a big part of future Raider success.

From the outside looking in, this seems like a hasty and needless move that mortgages their future. After not having more than 5 wins every year since 2002, and reaching 8-8 last season, that future was now. They are not going to have much of a draft next year unless they trade some players for picks, but they will probably get a couple of compensation picks for lost free agents Namdi Asomugha and Robert Gallery. Those picks come after the 3rd round, and then they will have two more picks in the fifth and sixth rounds.

Already owning one of the best running games out there, it's not impossible to think that a veteran like Palmer could not be asked to do too much in order to win. I don't believe Carson will be any worse than Jason Campbell, and there stands the strong possibility that he could be a little bit better. That remains to be seen, but he will get his chance sooner rather than later.

Offensive coordinator Al Saunders was asked if Palmer would play this Sunday against Kansas City and he said "as long as he's breathing". If he can manage a win in this one then he would make it to the bye week where he would then get an extra week of practice before playing again against Denver.

It looks fairly clear after this deal as to who is now running the Raiders in the absence of Mr. Davis, and that man is Hue Jackson. He dealt directly with Bengals owner Mike Brown in negotiating the terms. He was previously a wide receivers coach for the Bengals from 2003-06, and grew a relationship with not only Brown, but Palmer as well. Jackson's relationship with Palmer extends even further than that, as Jackson was the key recruiter that landed the former Heisman trophy winner at USC.