Draft implications in Palmer deal

Just a few days ago, I was tweeting away on the topic of former first-round picks that ended up with the Raiders. I couldn't believe all the names that were popping up: Rod Woodson, Jeff George, Lincoln Kennedy, Warren Sapp, Tyrone Wheatley, Regan Upshaw, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Jim Plunkett, Greg Bell, Brian Holloway, Mike Haynes, James Lofton, DeAngelo Hall, Mike Williams, Richard Seymour, Kyle Boller, Jarvis Moss, Javon Walker and Aaron Curry. I could go on -- really. But so can the Raiders, apparently.

Time to add another one to the list.

Carson Palmer is the latest former jewel draft pick for one team that has landed with the Raiders. My initial thought? The Bengals have landed a major draft haul and deserve a ton of credit, while the Raiders are better positioned to "go for it" than some give them credit for. And in both cases, it has a lot to do with the draft.

Raiders implications

To read Mel's full take on the Carson Palmer deal, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Mel Kiper Jr.

Football analyst

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• ESPN NFL Draft analyst since 1984
• Contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio
• Writes weekly for ESPN Insider