For the first time since the firing of Hue Jackson, Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer spoke to the media on Wednesday, taking part in an interview with Sirus XM NFL Radio.

Many were unsure if the Raiders would try to bring Palmer back, seeing he was Jackson's boy and vice versa. Palmer touched on that subject, but reiterated the fact that he's "doesn't want a change in scenery" and that he is "happy where I am."

"A lot of guys on the team were close with Hue, and good friends, and looked up to Hue in a lot of different ways. It's going to be different. It sounds like things are really changing in a lot of different areas and going in a number of different directions. So, it will be exciting, and this team will be ready to roll once the offseason kicks off in April."

Some feel that with the sweeping changes across the board in the Raiders front office that 2012 may have some growing pains in their first year under new management. But not Palmer, who believes the Silver and Black have themselves a championship caliber squad:

"As far as being close to a playoff team, it's more than that," Palmer said. "We're close to a championship team. There's a lot of work that needs to be put in and a lot of hurdles that we need to get over, but we need to be heading into this season thinking more than just playoffs."

The Raiders missed the playoffs once again with an 8-8 record after starting the year out with much promise. They now haven't made the playoffs since 2002, but as the 49ers taught us all in 2011, a big change can produce immediate results from time to time. Maybe something similar is in store across the Bay.

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