The tone of the article sounded like Ross was looking for a sure thing. The draft is always a bit of a gamble, although I am sure the sucess Carolina has had this year has opened some eyes, but it is not typically the norm for rookie QB's. I am not sure if Palmer can be considered a franchise QB, he barely cracked the top 20 the last couple years he has played, I think Orton put up better stats. As for the Pats, I assume you are talking about Mallett, I would be surprised to see him go anywhere, never mind within the division. I think the Pats try to keep him around for a bit, but who knows for sure what Belichick is thinking.