Most league observers agree that Bengals owner Mike Brown won’t budge from his stance that he won’t trade QB Carson Palmer, who has threatened retirement if he doesn’t get a ticket out of Cincinnati.

There’s certainly time for those circumstances to change, and if they do, NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan sees the Arizona Cardinals as an ideal suitor if Palmer is traded.

“The best fit for the Cardinals would be Palmer,” Kirwan noted during his weekly live chat. “There’s no denying his talent and experience. If you’re looking to duplicate some of the things you did with Kurt Warner, he’s your best choice.”

Palmer would figure to be one of the most attractive options on the QB trade market, and the Cardinals bypassed a quarterback in the draft, making the dots easy to connect. There’s always the possibility a team makes an offer Brown couldn’t ignore, and Kirwan has some thoughts about what it would take for him to deal Palmer.

“It’s a fine balancing act here between letting a player get what he wants and protecting his investment,” Kirwan added. ”I would move Palmer for a first-round pick and a player that could start immediately — but not less than that. Let’s see what someone brings to the table before we close the book on this decision.”

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