Carson Palmer 'can still do everything needed to win,' says Pete Prisco

The trade for Carson Palmer that the Arizona Cardinals made has elicited feelings of excitement, hope and some are doubtful. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco thinks that the naysayers should change their mind in his recent breakdown of the former Raider and Bengal.

According to Prisco, the Cardinals "have a legitimate starter for the first time since Kurt Warner." Something interesting note is that Prisco was one man among very few who liked when the Arizona Cardinals signed Warner many years ago.

He notes that Palmer had as many touchdown passes as Joe Flacco in two less games, despite "a revolving door" at right tackle and an apparent lack of trust in his receivers.

Palmer's arm strength? It is still there and the rumors of losing is all about the elbow injury he had in Cincinnati.

Palmer also showed great command in the pocket, being able to keep his head on a swivel and read defenses. He consistently showed the ability to anticipate openings (something we have not seen a Cardinals quarterback do since Warner).

While Palmer is not going to run and gain yards like that, Prisco showed that Palmer is by no means a statue. In fact, he was sacked less than Flacco while having a suspect offensive line. He gets the ball out in a hurry.

What is his one flaw? He does try to force things from time to time. Sound familiar? Warner did the same thing. Who else was famous for this? Brett Favre. No, Palmer is not those two guys, but it is a trait that many very good QBs have.

Now, I have personally never questioned his skill. My concern thus far is whether he can turn into the guy that will elevate the team, especially when needed. Can he rally a team back when it is down by 10? Will he come up with clutch drives in meaningful moments?

The skill is obviously there. Prisco saw it. Steve Keim and Bruce Arians saw it. Hopefully we all see it in 2013.

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