Sources: Palmer Wants out of Cincinnati...or Retire

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Sources reveal to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will request a trade or contemplate retirement if no trade is made. Palmer has personally made no comment regarding the report by ESPN. Of course, the Bengals had no comment on the matter.

It's apparent why Palmer wants out. Mort provides the answer.

"Palmer has become the object of fan frustration in the past two years and sources said he has grown frustrated with the team's inconsistencies."

Here's the numbers for Palmer since being tabbed as the Bengals starting QB.

Year	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate
2004	13	13	6-7-0	263	432	60.9	2897	18	18	77.3
2005*	16	16	11-5-0	345	509	67.8	3836	32	12	101.1
2006*	16	16	8-8-0	324	520	62.3	4035	28	13	93.9
2007	16	16	7-9-0	373	575	64.9	4131	26	20	86.7
2008	4	4	0-4-0	75	129	58.1	731	3	4	69.0
2009	16	16	10-6-0	282	466	60.5	3094	21	13	83.6
2010	16	16		362	586	61.8	3970	26	20	82.4
Career	97	97	42-39-0	2024	3217	62.9	22694	154	100	86.9

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/23/2011.

After a fantastic 2005 season, Palmer's second in the NFL as a player (he sat his entire first season as he learned the ropes), Palmer's production has been in a steady decline. The numbers completely bear that point.

I can see why. Mort's sources state that Palmer is "frustrated". Over the past two years (at least) there's a reason Palmer may be frustrated. The Bengals have no offensive identity. The philosophy seems to change on impulse. In 2009, Cincy was primarily a running team with Cedric Benson carting the load. The Bengals were 10-6 and won the AFC North.

This past season, the Bengals snared Terrell Owens via free agency and drafted Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. Maybe the Bengals would evolve into a passing team. It never materialized and the Bengals finished 4-12. Since that magical 2005 season, Palmer's passer rating has declined in seasons where he was the full-time QB. The crowd at PBS has also shown its disdain over Palmer and his bad decisions and lack of accuracy.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If the Bengals decide to give in to Palmer's demands, look for Palmer to attempt a reunion with his USC head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck is a free agent and even though Caroll says he wants Hasselbeck back in a Seahawks uniform, he could go the way of Palmer if he is available.

Here's what makes me laugh about this. If the sources are correct, Palmer is saying "deal me or I quit".

Yeah, I want that guy running my offense.

Update: Just about a half an hour ago, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer posted on his blog that the Bengals are currently not entertaining any offers for Palmer. Bengals team president Mike Brown did confirm that Palmer requested a trade.

Update #2: Palmer's agent, David Dunn, released a statement on the affairs between Palmer and the Bengals. Again, Reedy has this posted.

“Carson met with Bengals owner Mike Brown recently. They both expressed profound disappointment in how the team fared last season, and in how it has generally performed during Carson’s tenure with the team. Because of the lack of success that Carson and the Bengals have experienced together, Carson strongly feels that a separation between him and the Bengals would be in the best interest of both parties. Carson could not respect the Brown family any more than he does or be more appreciative of what the Browns have done for him and his wife Shaelyn and his family.”

You can consider this a bit of fluff. All the rights things were said, er, written. There isn't exactly the phrase "requested to be traded" in there, but "separation" was. Maybe it is time for Palmer to go elsewhere. He obviously doesn't want to be in Cincinnati any longer.

Trojan Turmoil

After a period of more than four years, an investigation into USC's football and basketball programs will apparently come to an ugly end. According to the Los Angeles Times, the penalties against the football program will be severe. The university had already imposed its own sanctions against the basketball program. A press release will come forth today from the university, and the university will have 15 days to appeal the NCAA's findings should that process be pursued.

USC had already self-sanctioned the basketball program from the Tim Floyd era and the happenings of O.J. Mayo (illegal gifts, cash and benefits). But USC and athletic director Mike Garrett chose to fight the charges against the football program, and now, we all know why.

With reports swirling that Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten and that six other Big 12 teams are jumping ship for the PAC 10, it's about one thing...money, and lots of it, too. I heard that for last season, the North Carolina mens basketball program (the most profitable in the nation) made a little less that $16 million for the season. The University of Texas football team made that...in two home games. I wish I could remember wher I heard that because that blew me away. Two freakin' games?!?! Don't tell me that money isn't ruling here.

That will prove to be the bigger Achilles heel for the Trojans. Their greed, and maybe even a bit of pride.

Bush in his USC days.
Will he keep his Heisman?

The investigation began back in 2006 when it was alleged that the mother, brother and stepfather of Reggie Bush were occupying a house in the San Diego area. That house was owned by an individual that wanted to eventually represent Bush when Bush turned pro. That "transaction" in itself became a mess all on its own.

Here's what the Trojans are potentially facing:

• loss of more than 20 scholarships
• vacating wins from at least the 2004 season(USC won the BCS title)
• 2 year ban from bowl games
• ban from TV
• recruiting restrictions
• probation

I wonder if Lane Kiffin is wishing he'd stayed in Knoxville.

Two more issues can be brought to light here. One is Reggie Bush's Heisman and the other is the BCS Championship won by USC, who we are now being informed, used an ineligible player (Bush).

What about that Heisman? The Heisman Trust is undoubtedly following this situation carefully. I was listening to ESPN's Joe Schad yesterday. He's a voter for the Heisman and he made reference that it says on the ballot something to the effect that the players must conform to NCAA rules and regulations. If Bush has been ruled ineligible, by all rights, the Heisman could be taken from Bush.

The question is, would it happen? This is very delicate ground here. If Bush is stripped of his Heisman, a door will open that can never be shut. The Trust will be able retroactively strip any previous Heisman winner of the honor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a move that really does need to be treated with kid gloves. The honor and prestige of being a Heisman winner and that reputation are all at stake. And this is solely in the hands of the Heisman Trust and NOT the NCAA.

The BCS title is on less shaky ground, in my opinion, but not a safe bet by any means. Again, if Bush is ruled ineligible and the team is forced to vacate wins from that season, the BCS could rule to strip the Trojans of the championship. One thing to keep in mind here. The NCAA has no control on this either. It's totally up to the BCS.

I'm really wondering if anyone that is still at Southern Cal is going to be held accountable. The main "culprits" are gone: Mayo, Bush, Floyd, Carroll. When Floyd resigned last year, he cited AD Mike Garrett as his reason for leaving due to lack of support.

That's the one constant left from all the mess, Garrett.

Just thinking out loud here....

Update: The NCAA released a statement regarding the penalties administered to USC. Among the highlights are:

• Four years probation
• Two year post season ban for football
• One year post season ban for men's basketball (self-imposed)
• Beginning in from December 2004, vacating all wins in all football games in which the ineligible football student-athlete participated including any and all postseason games
• Beginning with the 2007-2008 regular season, vacating all wins in all basketball games in which an ineligible student-athlete participated including any and all postseason games (self-imposed)
• From November, 2006 to My 2009, vacating all wins in all women's tennis matches in which an ineligible student-athlete participated including any and all postseason events (self-imposed)
• A reduction of a total of 30 (10 per season) scholarships within the football program
• A reduction of men's basketball scholarships from 13 to 12 for a two year period (self-imposed)
• A reduction of recruiting days from 130 to 110 for the men's basketball program (self-imposed)
• Disassociation of the former football student-athlete, the former men's basketball student-athlete and the representative who provided extra benefits to the former men's basketball student-athlete. This disassociation includes the refusal of any financial or recruiting assistance, as well as other conditions, which the public report further details.
• Prohibition of all non-university personnel, including boosters, from traveling on football and men's basketball charters; attending football and men's basketball team practices; attending or participating in any way with university football and men's basketball camps, including donation of funds; and having access to the sidelines and locker rooms for football and men's basketball games.

Strange how all the original allegations outside the football program led to self-imposed sanctions against the men's hoops and women's tennis program. What I find even more disturbing is that all of the penalties levied are due to one student-athlete in each program. Three student-athletes thinking of only themselves led to this debacle.

Meanwhile, USC AD Mike Garrett has an odd take on the penalties doled out against the Trojans programs.

"As I read the decision by the NCAA, all I could get out of all of this was ... I read between the lines, and there was nothing but a lot of envy, and they wish they all were Trojans."

I'm sure the NCAA will love hearing this. That will look great when Garrett and his other USC cronies go into the appeal of the penalties against USC. Also, Garrett made this statement while addressing boosters at a function that was scheduled before the announcement.

What's even funnier is that Garrett sacrificed the men's hoops and women's tennis programs in hopes of saving the football program from any harm. The NCAA did agree to the self-imposed sanctions, but it also levied penalties against the football program because Garrett refused to set his ego and little program aside for the long-term betterment of the football program. If Garrett had done so from the beginning, things may have turned out better. - SE

Next for the Seahawks, Carroll

With the resignation of Pete Carrol at USC and know being announced as the next head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, one has to wonder how much "power" Carroll will have in the organization.

I'm not so sure he'll have total control. Seattle has the "been there, done that" tag when the Mike Holmgren era began in 1999. That was not a good strategy for the long haul. As a Seahawks fan, I questioned the move then and I question the possibility of Carroll getting that now. To me, you have to have a seaparate GM and coach and they must find a way to work together. Mike Sando of ESPN.com has the very same take on the situation.

The house cleaning in Seattle has not gone without it's questions. Why is Carroll leaving USC? Does he know that USC is facing major penalties from the NCAA and he's taking this time to "get out of Dodge"? Was Carroll actually forced out due to those same possible sanctions? Was firing Jim Mora after only one year fair? Did Mora lose the Seahawks locker room?

We most likely will never know the answer to any of those questions. But that's for another day.

What will Carroll do with a team that has lost a step or two to the rest of their division? That's the real question that must be answered. Obviously, the Arizona Cardinals are now the class of the NFC West considering they're the back-to-back division champs.

First, get a GM that knows how to properly evaluate talent. As Sando points out, Floyd Reese (right) seems like a logical fit. As a GM for the Tennessee Titans, Reese worked along side of Jeff Fisher. Reese knows how that type of "checks and balances" works within a front office. Reese served this past season as the Senior Football Advisor for the New England Patriots. Reese had a front seat for how the Patriots run their organization and that may translate into a return as an NFL GM. He's also highly respected in NFL circles. That brings credibility if Reese were to be named as Seahawks GM.

Upon announcing that Carroll would be the next Seahawks head coach, Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke offered this as posted on seahawks.com:

“We now turn our full attention to the hiring process for a general manager. Our intended structure is for Pete and the new GM to work in a collaborative capacity on football matters.”

Almost sounds like an Reese endorsement, doesn't it?

Next, the success of an NFL head coach is highly predicated on the effectiveness of his assistants. Select good assistant coaches, Pete. Carroll is taking Jeremy Bates (left) from his USC staff to serve as offfensive coordinator. It was Bates that helped develop Bears QB Jay Cutler when they were together in Denver. Cutler had mild success in Denver and a lot of that has been attributed to Bates. With Bates going to Seattle, that means that Gregg Knapp is now out.

But there are many more positions to fill, and Carroll has to be "spot on" with his hires. Don't rule out the possiblity that the new GM may provide a bit of aid since Carroll has been out of the NFL for a while. Don't forget that Vikings DC Leslie Frazier was brought in to interview for the head coach position. While many say this was merely to satisfy the Rooney Rule (and it sure does look like it), was it an audition for bigger and better things that could head Frazier's way? I'm just asking.

Finally, Carroll must earn respect from the Seahawks roster. For some odd reason, it appeared that Jim Mora never did. If the reports are true that Mora did lose the locker room, he surely wasn't being respected. This may be the hardest step in the process. We all know Carroll has massive charisma, but well will that translate to an NFL locker room? Some are already suggesting that it won't. Getting in good with QB Matthew Hasselbeck is just a suggestion, Pete.

On the surface, it looks like Seattle made a "knee jerk" reaction in dismissing Mora, giving him only one season.

The Seahawks brass had to have their eyes on Carroll for a long time to pull such a reaction.