Where do Raiders find another WR?

ALAMEDA -- Toward the end of training camp in Napa, I asked Carson Palmer about his former teammate Chad Johnson, and if he thought he could help the Raiders.Palmer could not praise the purportedly high-maintenance diva enough, while giving props to his own young receiving corps."I don't think we're banged up where we've got guys that are going on IR, you know what I mean? I think that's a different situation," Palmer told me at the time."I had a great time playing with Chad. I had no issues with him at all. He'd be a great add for any team but we've got young guys that are just coming along. I mean, Denarius will be back any day. Jacoby's deal is not that bad. So we're not going to give up on any of those guys."Times, though, have changed.RELATED: Raiders' Ford to undergo foot surgery
With Jacoby Ford undergoing surgery on his troublesome left foot Tuesday in North Carolina, the Raiders are not only out a playmaker, but also a receiver.The logical move for a budget-conscious outfit like the current Raiders would be to promote from within -- Brandon Carswell and Travionte Session are already on the practice quad.But a more bold move would be to look Johnson's way. If you watched HBO's "Hard Knocks" series on the Miami Dolphins, you saw in last week's finale that Johnson was working out in the ocean, trying to stay afloat in the NFL consciousness.And guess who the Raiders are playing this week. The same team that cut Johnson in camp, after he was arrested for allegedly head-butting his wife. He might know a little something about the Dolphins' playbook, no?I asked Raiders coach Dennis Allen Tuesday if there might be any interest in Johnson, specifically."I mean I wouldnt specify him specifically as theres interest there," Allen said. "Like Ive told you guys before, were going to look at everybody thats available, and if we feel like theres somebody that can help us, give us a chance to be better and help this team win, then were going to do that."If he fits that category then I wouldnt rule anything out."Other "name" pass catchers still flitting about include Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens. And since the opening weekend has come and gone, any free agent signed now would not have a guaranteed contract anyway.It was a lifetime ago, in NFL years, but Palmer and Johnson were a very successful duo in Cincinnati.From 2004 through 2010, Johnson had 564 receptions for 7,933 yards and 50 touchdowns and was named to five Pro Bowls and twice a first-team All-Pro, mostly with Palmer under center. And in 2006, Johnson's 1,369 receiving yards led the NFL, as well as his 85.6-yards-per-game average.His production, though, has tapered off in recent years as his off-field issues have risen."But just knowing Chad, he's been through harder things in his life," Palmer said at the time, "and he'll bounce back from this."With circumstances now changed and Oakland needing a receiver, might the Raiders now offer that landing spot?