Last month when quarterback Carson Palmer told the Cincinnati Bengals that he wanted to be traded, team president Mike Brown said the team wasn’t going to deal its franchise player. Palmer had threatened to retire and walk away from the remaining four years and some $ 50 million on his contract if he wasn’t dealt, and it now appears that the Bengals may well think him.

Cincinnati has the No. four overall pick in this year’s draft and has been meeting with the top quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine. Cincy ought to have its option of QBs that high, likely either Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert or Heisman winner Cam Newton of Auburn really should the team determine to go that route. Coach Marvin Lewis said late last week that the team was proceeding this offseason as if Palmer won’t play.

“You want a guy in the fourth spot that is going to be a game changer next year, a guy you can develop a franchise around. We can go in a lot of various directions. I know on offense we can,” new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said of the team’s initial choose.

Cincinnati would prefer, no doubt, to have Palmer play next season as a rookie QB sits and learns and then trade Palmer soon after the 2011 season. But SI.com’s Peter King reported Monday that a team official said the Bengals will listen to delivers for Palmer when the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized – whenever that is. Surely Palmer would draw some delivers, with teams like the Vikings, 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks expected to be interested in Palmer. Absent a new CBA, no present players might be traded.

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