We finally hear from Palmer

UPDATED

Since the end of the season, Raiders QB Carson Palmer has not given any interviews and so there were many questions out there about how he felt about the changes in the coaching staff, reflecting on the trade and how he feels about the next year.  In a short interview today on NFL Sirius radio, Palmer weighed in on a few questions.

Specifically, he answered questions about the pressures he feels to justify the blockbuster trade that brought him to Oakland mid-season last year and about the wide receiving corps that Oakland currently has under contract.  Unsurprisingly he raved about rookie Denarius Moore, calling him a “big time receiver in the making.”

Here is the audio of the spot, you want to listen yourself and here is a transcript of the conversation:

Q: You’ve been through so much in your career, Carson. Did you – do you – feel any pressure to live up to that trade?

A: Oh absolutely, without a doubt. You know, playing the position of quarterback there’s always pressure and there are always outside pressures but, with myself, I’ve always put more inside pressures, more internal pressures. Pressures that I put on myself are always bigger than anything I’ve heard or anything I’ve felt from the outside. But, with the trade and with all that’s gone on throughout my career I feel a tremendous amount of pressure and I love it. You know, that’s why I started playing quarterback, I think, at a young age – the ball is in your hands, every single play, and there are only two players that can say that – the center and the quarterback. You know, I’ve always relished being in that position and just all the little things that come along with it. You know the expectations from a leadership role, the expectations from performance and obviously the outside pressures that come with the position.

Q: Are you convinced that there’s enough talent there – there’s a lot of youth and experience – but is there enough talent at the wide receiver position or it an area that you guys need to revisit during free agency and the draft?

A: There’s definitely the talent in the room. I mean you look at Denarius Moore: what he did as a rookie – and he missed a handful of games – was amazing. Not statistically or the numbers but the big plays that he made and the big games – momentum changing, game winning plays. If you look at what he can bring to the table, and just talking to him, like I have this offseason, and just hearing the excitement in his voice and the disappointment in his voice that he didn’t do more, couldn’t do more, things like that are what excite me. I mean, that’s a big time receiver in the making and he’s only going to get better.

Then you look at Darrius Heyward-Bey had the best year of his career. Jacoby Ford was hurt a lot but made some tremendous plays. And then Louis Murphy, a guy that was a leading receiver on the team in the years past, and didn’t have the year he wanted and is just hungry and is anticipating a big year for himself.

So, there are a handful of guys you get excited about and need a lot of work and a lot polishing but I don’t think it’s a concern or an area of concern or should be an area of concern because we’re close at that position.

UPDATED:

This turns out to be an incomplete audio of the interview, which was much longer.  You can read a transcript of the entire interiew here, if you’re interested.

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