Just when it appeared it would never happen, the Bengals traded disgruntled and currently retired quarterback, Carson Palmer, to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a pair of first round picks.  It could go down as one of the biggest trade deadline deals in the history of the NFL, a league which rarely sees big name players traded during the season.

FOXSports.com first reported the news early on Tuesday.  Jay Glazer reports that the two sides are “very close to a deal that would send the former Cincy starting quarterback to Oakland to take the place of injured Jason Campbell in exchange for a first-round pick in 2012 and a future second-round pick that could escalate to a first-rounder based on his play.”

Oakland and Cincinnati spent much of Monday discussing the deal to the point early Monday night when a select few people realized it could happen, according to ESPN.com. People involved in the deal's discussions thought it could happen, but they also recognized how delicate the talks were.

Palmer has been working out in Southern California with former Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien. Palmer also has a strong relationship with Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, with the two men having worked together in Cincinnati from 2004-2006, when Jackson was the Bengals' receivers coach. It was Jackson’s close relationship with Bengals’ owner Mike Brown that likely led to this deal being done.

It is likely that the Raiders will allow backup Kyle Boller to start Week 7’s game against Kansas City with Palmer taking over at the team’s Week 8 bye. The Raiders currently sit 0.5 game back behind the Chargers in the AFC West with a 4-2 record.

FANTASY SLANT: Palmer’s numbers have declined over the past couple of seasons and with him being sidelined for an extended period, owners need to temper expectations. Regardless, he should be picked up immediately in all formats as potential trade bait or for added depth. He could end up becoming a viable fantasy option down the stretch of the season.  Palmer’s familiarity with Jackson should allow him to quickly pick up on the Raiders’ offense and Oakland has plenty of weapons. The move is huge to all Raiders’ offensive players’ fantasy values.

FINAL TAKE: I will be the first to admit being critical of Mike Brown for his stubbornness and shear disregard for common sense surrounding this whole situation. However, I never believed the Bengals would get a first round pick for Palmer, much less two of them (potentially).  With Andy Dalton having one of the best rookie seasons at quarterback as the league has seen in sometime and AJ Green delivering on his potential, the Bengals are only going to get better with the extra picks.

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Vegas oddsmakers have set the Bengals’ total wins at over/under  5.5.  ESPN released its Preseason Power Rankings on Tuesday and the team starts the year ranked No. 32 out of 32 teams.  Their franchise quarterback would rather retire than show up and endure Bengaldom and collect millions.

It may be premature to say that the franchise has hit rock bottom, especially considering that few teams know what the bottom feels like as well as the Bengals. However, the Jungle is likely to be a bit empty this season and there may not be a single home game broadcast in the Cincinnati area. The fan base has gone from jubilant to pissed off and now apathetic in a span of three years.

The last time the franchise was in such a lull was following the 2002 season, when it finished 2-14. It was then that Mike Brown hired Marvin Lewis. The coach was brought back for his ninth season this offseason and while there are many similarities within the franchise between then and now, the coach sees a stark difference between the teams.

“This football team now is put together differently. They’re tougher, they’re physical, they know how to go out there and compete,” Lewis told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I didn’t know those things coming in 2003. I know what this team is made of now, I know who the leaders are, I didn’t know those guys then. It’s different.”

There is one thing you can say sure about the year ahead for the Bengals. Based off of fan and expert expectations this team can only go one way, up. The question that remains is how long will it take them to get there?

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Ryan Parker puts out another great Bengals' song...

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In over two decades of running the franchise, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown has displayed many acts of ignorance and stubbornness. His refusal to trade quarterback Carson Palmer, who is opting to retire than ever playing for the team again, is perhaps his worst mistake yet.

In a an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy on Tuesday Brown insisted to stay the course and said he felt Palmer was a 'good person'.

“I’m not expecting [Carson Palmer] to be back. Carson signed a contract, he made a commitment,” he said. “He gave us his word. We relied on his word and his commitment. We expected him to perform here. If he is going to walk away from his commitment we aren’t going to reward him for doing it,”

Palmer is opting out of over $40 million of guaranteed money to play for Cincinnati and choosing to sit on his couch. The market is definitely there for a quarterback with as many as 10 teams needing a veteran starting option. Worse-case scenario Palmer gets you a 3rd Round Pick in 2012. It is better than nothing and the rest of the locker room can turn the page.

Though Palmer could force the issue, this sitatuion doesn't appear to be getting resolved anytime soon.

MY TAKE: The only reason Brown insists that he needs to stand up to Palmer and set a precedent is because he’s afraid it will open a door for a flood of other players wanting to flee the poorly-run organization.  Rather than proving a point, Brown needs to exert that energy and effort into fixing the reason Palmer wants to leave in the first place.  The organization is a joke and despite losing more games than its won in 19 of the last 21 seasons Brown still doesn’t realize that he is the problem. For the record, Palmer is a shell of his formerself and even if he didn't make the first move, it was already time for the team to begin thinking about the future under center.

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***

Less than three days after parting ways with Bob Bratkowski, the Cincinnati Bengals named Jay Gruden as their new offensive coordinator.

Gruden, the younger brother of Jon Gruden, has coached for seven seasons (2002-08) in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a Super Bowl championship ring in 2002. He also ranks among the most outstanding players and coaches in the history of the Arena Football League, having won four league championships as a quarterback and two as a head coach. In 18 AFL seasons as a player and head coach, he never missed the playoffs.

In 2010, Gruden was head coach and general manager of the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He led the Tuskers to the UFL championship game, where they lost to Las Vegas. In accepting his new position with the Bengals, he resigns as head coach of the UFL's new Virginia franchise. He had been hired to that job this past Jan. 12, after the Tuskers ceased operations.

"We are excited to have Jay join us and give us a new direction offensively," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "He has proven himself a consistent winner in a variety of positions and has earned tremendous respect in the coaching profession. He's going to provide the energy and attacking style that will best suit our offensive skill players and quarterback.

"This is something I wanted to get right, to take the time to make the best decision," Lewis said, "and I appreciate the support I got from (Bengals president) Mike Brown in the process. The offense is where we need to show improvement, and when we do, we'll show that this team is ready to win the division again like we did just a year ago. Our defense is strong and still improving, and one thing we did in 2010 was to develop a number of very promising new players. Jay is a key addition to this process."

My Take: I am going to play the wait-and-see approach on this one.  At 43, Gruden is definitely on the rise. However, he is mostly unproven at this level. His West Coast-style offense is more up the alley of what Carson Palmer ran at USC, but will his arrival change the tune of the Bengals’ quarterback, who requested to be traded last month or he may considered retirement.  It is believed that Gruden’s system will be easier for younger players to pick up on and with the team entering serious rebuild mode that could be a plus. Either way, he’s not Bob Bratkowksi and that alone is a positive.

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Parody of Bengals' owner Mike Brown talking to Steelers' owner Art Rooney II:

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Despite back-to-back wins, many are still expecting Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis to move on at season's end.

Lewis talked about the situation with FanHouse.com:

“I think we’ll know something there by Monday or Tuesday,” Lewis told Thomas George of Fanhouse.com. “We [Bengals owner Mike Brown and Lewis] talk every day about the future. About the football team, the players and the personnel.

“We’ve got to decide how it is going to be. His vision of the football team and mine. There are certain things he wants to emphasize with me. Things that are important to him. I expect to hear those.”

COMPLETE STORY

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Ryan Parker chimes about Mike Brown and the Bungles in his latest tune...

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***

RB Game Ball - Peyton Hillis, Cleveland - 29 carries, 184 yards, 2 TD, 3 catches, 36 yards
Are the Cleveland Browns for real? Before the bye week they take down the Saints and then pummel the Patriots at home on Sunday. While they have a good defense they have a big question at QB as they are now starting a rookie - their third QB to start a game this year. But where they don't have a question is at running back. Hillis has easily been the best surprise amongst running backs this season. He went from barely having the starting job at the beginning of the year to very nearly becoming a fantasy stud. Most of the time teams can win with a good defense and great running game and that's exactly what the Browns have now.

RB Honorable Mention - Arian Foster, Houston - 27 carries, 127 yards, 2 TD, 4 catches, 70 yards (ran all over a tough Chargers D.)

QB Game Ball - Brett Favre, Minnesota - 36/47, 446 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
It's hard not to give a guy a Game Ball who throws for 110 yards more than anyone else on Sunday. But those numbers are inflated thanks to a game-winning overtime drive. Of course, going into the game most people would not have predicted such a close score. The Cardinals had not kept an opponent to under 20 points since week one and the Vikings D should not have struggled against the Derek Anderson offense. Regardless, Favre put a nice feather in his helmet and proved he can still lead a team to victory.

QB Honorable Mention - Michael Vick, Philadelphia - 17/29, 218 yards, 1 TD, 10 carries, 74 tards, 1 TD (can't deny his talent.)

WR Game Ball - James Jones, Green Bay - 8 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD
No one should ever lose their job due to injury, but there is nothing wrong with someone else taking advantage of the opportunity. Jones started for the injured veteran Donald Driver on Sunday and made the most of it. It was his second 100+ yard performance in three weeks and there may be more to come. The Packers are taking charge in the NFC north and Jones may finally break-out.

WR Honorable Mention - Jacoby Ford, Oakland - 6 catches, 148 yards (soon-to-be the week's most added player.) 

The Game Used Sock Award - Jerry Jones, Owner/GM, Dallas - 1-7 record
It is actually very rare that people in the front-office, or even owners, ever get a lot of credit when their team wins. The glory always seems to go the quarterback or running back or even the head coach. Of course, when teams fail things don't change much. Quarterbacks get benched. Running Backs get traded. And coaches get fired. But owners and GM's, they just keep pushing the buttons. And that is what is happening in Dallas. It is well known that owner/GM Jerry Jones controls almost everything that goes on with the Cowboys. He tinkers with play calling. He questions players abilities. He suggests who should carry the ball and who shouldn't. Well, the 'Boys suck this year so what does he do? Fire the coach. Hey Jerry, you're the one that hired Jon Kitna as a back-up QB. You're the one that keeps telling people Marion Barber is injury proned. You're the one making the calls. Maybe it's time you looked in the mirror. Or at least go home home in the same nasty socks you wore in the executive booth on Sunday night.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Mike Brown, Owner, Cincinnati - The Bengals are losing 10-0 to the Steelers at the time of this posting. Not only aren't you nearly as good of an owner as Jerry Jones in Dallas, you'll never have a franchise as respected as the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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As Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis enters the final year of his contract, the debate has begun on whether or not the team should renew/extend his contract.

Lewis is entering his eighth season at the reigns. Only four coaches in the NFL have enjoyed a longer stint with their current teams – Jeff Fisher (TEN) – 17 years; Andy Reid (PHI) – 11 years; Bill Belichick (NE) – 11 years; John Fox (CAR) – 9 years.

Through seven seasons as coach Lewis has posted a 56-55-1 mark, won two AFC North championships and only had two losing seasons out of seven. That’s quite an accomplishment considering where the franchise was at before his arrival.

While I favor his return, I’m not sure it will happen. If it were going to happen, why hasn’t it already?

Team owner Mike Brown is as loyal as they come.  You have to look no further than offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski to figure that out. He’s set to begin his 10th season in that position. The next closest offensive coordinator around the league in that tenure is the Jets’ Brian Schottenheimer, who is beginning his fifth year in New York.

If I were a betting man, I would bet against Lewis being the Bengals’ coach in 2011.

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