I too would like a quarterback that we could have for at least a decade, but this is the situation we're in. No matter if you draft Bridgewater or trade for Palmer it's a risk. Of all the crap seasons we've had, the only time we got high enough to draft a QBOTF would have landed us Ryan Leaf. We should upgrade Plummer just because he kept us from that nightmare.
IMO we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Palmer might have 3 years, 5 years....and if he were to play as long as Warner (just as an age comparison...which also imo strong armed QB's are more likely to be able to do) even longer. I don't know how much he has left, but his arm is still there. His age shouldn't deter us.
Maybe Palmer ends up sucking, but even if we tanked we have no sure bet of getting Bridgewater, and no guarantee he doesn't bust out, plus it's a year away. Palmer is available to us right now, and to use another old saying....a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Some people feel Manziel is a bust waiting to happen. A Texas party boy like Leinart. I'd hate to 'tank' only to end up trying to copycat Kaepernick and Wilson, and getting party boy instead. Not that I'm against him fully, just saying I see him as having a pretty big bust risk.
I really feel Oakland's front office doesn't appreciate what Palmer did, and are going to find out they are far crappier then they thought. I feel they think if they just get a better QB, they'll turn things around. I'm not against Flynn, but I just don't see any QB taking Oakland anywhere with the talent they don't have, and right now Flynn will have even less than Palmer did since Brandon Myers left. He was basically the only weapon Palmer had. Maybe Denarius Moore can improve, but at this point stat wise Andre Roberts with our crappy QB's exceeds him except in YPC, especially if you consider % of total passing yards he accounts for. 751 yards out of >4000 is not impressive. They are going to find out that Palmer was covering for what they didn't have, and I really don't think Flynn can do that. I don't feel mediocre arm quarterbacks throwing to marginal speed receivers deep fits well together.
I also feel Palmer is a perfect fit for what Arians wants to do. We'd be picking up a guy who whatever his capability ultimately is he fits us which should make him more effective then what his capability is, whatever it is. Flynn doesn't fit what the Raiders have, Palmer fits what we are trying to establish.
If Flynn is going to have a shot the Raiders are going to need to draft some weapons for him. They don't have many picks to do that, so I find it doubtful. Especially since there isn't one worth the #3 pick. Then they don't pick again until the 3rd round as they still owe that pick to Cinci. Ouch.
Flynn looked pretty good against us, but I don't put too much stock in it. It's one thing going in against a team that was beaten down, wasn't game planned for, and PC was running up the score.
I say take advance of the front office of the Raiders, Reggie McKenzie, and show him that switching QB's and lessening the talent there, won't change the rot underneath it all. If he wants to make a mistake, I say fleece 'em.
