Arizona acquired Carson Palmer and a seventh-round pick for a…
Arizona acquired Carson Palmer and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-rounder plus a conditional 2014 seventh. Palmer became the Cardinals' long-term starter, went 38-21-1 in regular-season starts for Arizona and delivered a 13-3 season with an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2015. Oakland moved up 43 spots in the 2013 draft and later received the pick used on Shelby Harris, but the Raiders realized little lasting value from those assets. Arizona won decisively.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Carson Palmer
- pick 2013 7th round pick (219th overall, D.C. Jefferson )
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 2013 6th round pick (176th overall subsequently traded, David Quessenberry )
- pick 2014 7th round pick (235th overall, Shelby Harris)
Trade Analysis
Arizona bought low on Carson Palmer at exactly the right moment. The Cardinals sent Oakland a sixth-round pick and a conditional 2014 selection while also receiving a 2013 seventh-rounder with Palmer. The cost was negligible for a player capable of stabilizing the league's most important position.
Palmer immediately became Arizona's starter and helped Bruce Arians transform the team into a contender. Injuries interrupted his 2014 season, but his peak came in 2015. Palmer threw for 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns, earned Pro Bowl recognition and finished near the top of the MVP voting as Arizona went 13-3. The Cardinals won a playoff game and reached the NFC Championship Game. Across his Arizona tenure, Palmer gave the franchise several seasons of credible high-level quarterback play before retiring after 2017.
Oakland's return did not approach that value. The 2013 sixth-rounder at No. 176 was later moved, while the conditional 2014 seventh-round choice became No. 235 and was used on defensive lineman Shelby Harris. Harris eventually developed into a productive NFL starter elsewhere, but he played almost no meaningful football for the Raiders and was repeatedly waived before his career took off with Denver. The value to Oakland itself was therefore minimal.
This trade also needs to be viewed against the Raiders' decision to move on from Palmer while resetting the roster under general manager Reggie McKenzie. Clearing the veteran quarterback may have fit the organization's direction, but the compensation did not replace the performance Arizona received.
Arizona earns an A+ because it acquired a multi-year starting quarterback and an MVP-caliber season for late-round capital. Oakland stays at D: the move reduced commitment to Palmer but produced little usable football value. The Cardinals won by an enormous margin.