According to Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson, at least one NFL GM believes that quarterback Carson Palmer could fetch a first-round pick from a “playoff ready” team if Cincinnati owner Mike Brown makes him available.

One NFL general manager said Tuesday the Bengals can’t be a hurry to trade Palmer if they don’t have an experienced quarterback “in the pipeline,” which they don’t. He also said he thought Palmer could net a first-round pick from a team that is “playoff ready.”

“I don’t think his skills have declined. I think he’s got everything you want,” The GM said. “But for whatever reason, I don’t think he’s ever put it all together and from what I can tell, they’ve tried to surround him with good players.”

Either this GM was drunk when Hobson spoke with him or he’s someone within the Bengals organization that is trying to create a market for Palmer this offseason. Because anyone with functioning vision can see that Palmer isn’t worth a first rounder. He may have finished the 2010 season on a high note, but two weeks of good play isn’t enough to entice a team to part with a first-rounder in exchange for a fading quarterback that’s owed $50 million over the next four years.

But for a moment, let’s at least entertain the idea that Palmer would bring back a first rounder. These are the teams that could be in the market for a quarterback next season: Redskins, Bills, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Raiders, Vikings, Browns, Panthers, Jaguars and Titans.

Seeing as how this unnamed “GM” specifically said that Palmer could net a first-round pick from a team that is “playoff ready,” that eliminates the Bills, Browns and Panthers right off the bat. It’s also highly, highly, HIGHLY unlikely that the Cardinals, 49ers, Titans and Redskins would part with a top-10 pick for Palmer, so we can eliminate them as well. (Besides, it was a stretch to suggest that any of those teams were “playoff ready” anyway.)

That leaves the Dolphins, Vikings and Jaguars. Minnesota picks 12th, Miami picks 15th and Jacksonville picks 16th. Even though they’ve been searching for a better option for the last two years, I doubt the Jags would part with a mid-first round pick for Palmer when they still have David Garrard. Now we’re down to the Dolphins and Vikings.

There’s no doubt that the Vikings need a QB but the Dolphins haven’t given up on Chad Henne yet and they wouldn’t trade for Palmer unless they were going to hand him the starting job. Either way, why would either of these teams give up a first rounder for Palmer when the quarterback class in this year’s draft is deep? It just doesn’t make sense. And again, Palmer is an expensive 31-year-old quarterback with declining skills.

So we’re back to square one: That GM was drunk.