Cardinals cut El Pasoan John Skelton, acquire Carson Palmer

The Arizona Cardinals have acquired quarterback Carson Palmer from the Oakland Raiders.

The Cardinals gave up a conditional seventh-round 2014 draft pick and swapped one of their sixth-round picks this year for Oakland’s seventh-round selection.

Palmer reworked his contract as part of his move to the desert, agreeing to a two-year deal worth up to $20 million, with $10 million guaranteed.

If Palmer starts at least 13 games next season, Oakland gets Arizona’s 2014 seventh-round pick. If he doesn’t, the Cardinals owe the Raiders nothing. Palmer also happens to be the brother of former UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer.

New Arizona coach Bruce Arians gets a starting quarterback at a bargain basement price.

But at least the Raiders have the prospect of getting something for the quarterback rather than just releasing him. Oakland acquired quarterback Matt Flynn on Monday in a deal that sent two draft picks to the Seahawks.

The 33-year-old Palmer put up big numbers with the Raiders last season but the production didn’t translate into sufficient wins.

In 15 games in 2012, Palmer threw for 4,018 yards, becoming the second quarterback in Raiders history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season. He threw for 22 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

His abilities fit the “throw long downfield” philosophy of Arians, who inherited a team with a woeful situation at quarterback.

Last year, Arizona had four starting quarterbacks – El Pasoan John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer. They combined to throw for 3,383 yards with 11 touchdowns and 21 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 63.1 in an offense that ranked last in the NFL. The Arizona quarterbacks were sacked 58 times in 608 pass attempts. By contrast, Palmer was sacked 28 times last year in 585 throws.

The Cardinals have released Skelton and Kolb and have signed Hoyer to a tender offer. They also have signed free agent Drew Stanton, the backup last season to Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, where Arians was interim head coach.

Palmer was the first overall draft pick in 2002 by Cincinnati and was with the Bengals until his trade to Oakland two years ago. In two seasons with the Raiders, he started 24 games, completed 61 percent of his passes for 6,771 yards and 35 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. His career passer rating is 85.5.

“We’d like to thank Carson Palmer for his services over the past two seasons,” Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said in a news release, “and we wish him well with the Cardinals.”

For his career, Palmer has completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 29,465 yards and 189 touchdowns with 132 interceptions.

He would be the fourth different starting quarterback to open the season with Arizona since Kurt Warner retired in 2009.