When we last visited Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer, he was itching to acquire a copy of the team's new playbook.
There was a hitch: Under the collective bargaining agreement, teams were forbidden from handing out playbooks or gathering together before Monday. Palmer expressed frustration over the wait, wondering what Oakland's attack would look like under new coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.
The team's strength and conditioning program entered its fifth day on Friday and our man Palmer now has the book. He can't work with Knapp or his position coaches yet, but he's pored through the team's attack and believes it holds promise for the Raiders, who finished ninth in total offense last season.
"I think it's really going to fit the personnel we have," Palmer told the Bay Area News Group. "The style of play with the offensive line and the zone running scheme, and the speed we have in the backfield, it's built for making a read, making one cut, and getting vertical and putting pressure on the defense with our speed and our running backs just heading north when they find the hole in that zone."
Palmer understands that his 2011 season was viewed by some as a disappointment. He was thrust into action without the benefit of offseason work following months away from the game during his standoff with the Cincinnati Bengals. In recent days, Palmer spent hours pouring over footage of Knapp's work with quarterback Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans offense, and believes the Raiders are primed to match the power of that attack.
"A lot of things quarterbacks are asked to do in this offense are strengths of mine," Palmer said. "There are a lot of naked bootlegs and I've always focused on working on that. I did so much of it in college and I'm excited to do more of it now. I haven't done it a ton (in the NFL, but it's something I'm comfortable doing."
