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.

Fantasy Football, NFL cincinnati bengals, oakland raiders, carson palmer, hue jackson, mike brown