Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer played alongside Chad Johnson for seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, forming one of the better QB-WR combos in franchise history.
Johnson's rather epic free fall from grace has him looking for work, but it's unlikely teams will come calling any time soon -- especially the Raiders.
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Oakland's young group of receivers is banged up after two preseason games. Jacoby Ford is in a protective boot after injuring his foot. Denarius Moore's hamstring remains a nuisance, and Darrius Heyward-Bey is back at practice after spraining his shoulder in last Friday's loss to the Cardinals.
Despite the rash of injuries, Palmer sees no reason to upset the apple cart by signing Johnson -- but it's nothing personal.
"I had a great time playing with Chad. I had no issues with him at all. He'd be a great add for any team but we've got young guys that are just coming along," Palmer told Comcast SportsNet California, via its Bay Area affiliate. "I mean Denarius will be back any day. Jacoby's deal is not that bad. So we're not going to give up on any of those guys. They're too good of players and young."
Palmer's excitement over the Raiders' collection of pass-catchers is mostly justified. Along with Moore and Ford, Heyward-Bey comes off his best season, while Rod Streater has turned heads in recent weeks. Chad Johnson to the Raiders might have made sense in some bygone season under Al Davis, but coach Dennis Allen and friends have nothing to gain by adding the 34-year-old sideshow in 2012.
Palmer stressed that he "got along great" with Johnson back in the day and offered encouragement for his friend: "Chad's going to bounce back. He's been through a lot, not just in his NFL career, but throughout his entire life. I know Chad will bounce back."
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
