Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports reports that the Seattle Seahawks have informed QB Matt Flynn that they’re willing to trade him, but “several” teams around the league appear to be under the assumption that they will ultimately release him.
This coincides with a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that mentioned that Flynn’s market value “isn’t as high as many people think.”
Flynn found a hard time finding serious interest on the open market last year and wound up interviewing with only the Dolphins and Seahawks before he ultimately signed three-year, $19.5 million contract with Seattle.
The recent reports of Russell Wilson being unhappy about his contract aren’t going to help Flynn’s chances of remaining with the Seahawks for another year. Wilson has refuted the reports of him wanting a new contract and the CBA prevents the Seahawks from giving him a raise until after his third year in the league.
There’s still a chance that a team could show interest in trading for Flynn, but if the consensus is that no one’s willing to part with any amount of value in return for him, then he figures to be on the chopping block and shopping for another opportunity.
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If other teams doubt his value (IE talent level) would it serve the Seahawks to showcase Flynn in preseason games so to display is skill set & increase other teams’ interest? Or is it more likely that any team that would want him, would want him in their folds before camp opens?
I think there should be interest in him, for there are more teams that need to improve at the QB position then there are QBs to fill those jobs, IE Jets, K.C., J-Ville, Arizona, Buffalo, etc… & while I realize that there is more that goes into a potential trade then simply needing that player (cap considerations, the length & amount of the players current contract, what the team is willing to give up vs. what the team wants in return) the fact that he would improve another team’s QB position is a heck of an incentive to get a deal done I would think.
IMO a third rounder from any non-playoff team would be fair compensation for a potential starting QB. I mean it’s not like that team would be getting Wilson for that third rounder, but not every team can be as fortunate as that.
It really comes down to what teams are willing to part with in return for Flynn and what the Seahawks view as reasonable compensation for him.
If some of the teams that you mentioned do in fact have interest in acquiring him, they would want to have him in training camp so he would have every opportunity to learn their system. Trading for Flynn during the preseason cuts into the total amount of snaps he would have with the team’s offense.
The Jets have terrible cap mess to deal, so it’s more likely they’ll draft a QB. KC’s new GM John Dorsey’s from Green Bay, so they could be a landing spot. Jacksonville said they intend to add more competition, but it’s hard to imagine them parting with draft picks for Flynn. Arizona’s an option, but NFL teams typically try to avoid trading players within their division. I really think the Bills look to the draft for a QB and Ryan Nassib has ties to their new head coach.
The Packers will receive a 4th round pick, at best, in return for Flynn signing with Seattle, and given the reports that have come out, it would suggest that NFL teams believe he’s not worth a 3rd round pick.
1. The Seahawks are in really great shape with their cap space thus there is no pressing need to clear payroll or to cut Flynn. With Wilson still under his rookie contract, the Seahawks are only devoting about $5.5 mil to the position next year, which is way below league average, especially considering the total talent that they are paying for.
2. “The recent reports of Russell Wilson being unhappy about his contract aren’t going to help Flynn’s chances of remaining with the Seahawks for another year.” I think this is where people are taking issue with your post. Since the “recent reports” have largely been debunked by everyone but Mort, those erroneous reports could neither hurt nor help Flynn in any way. It seems as though you are making an assertion based on information that’s already been discredited. Also, it makes absolutely no sense that Wilson’s “desire” for a new contract down the road has any influence on the Seahawks approach to their 2013 payroll.
3. Matt Flynn is possibly the best back-up QB in the league. Having a starter who runs
a lot exposes him to more injury than a traditional pocket passer (see RGIII). I think Pete Carroll knows that he needs at minimum a borderline starter as a back-up if he’s going to continue to run Wilson the way they did this year.
Good points regarding Seahawks cap space and the fact that Flynn could actually be one of the better backup options in the league.
Pete Carroll did mention that they’re considering the possibility of adding a QB with a similar skill set to Wilson’s.
The speculation that Flynn’s contract could impact whether or not the Seahawks decide to keep him stems from a Mike Florio post in which he writes:
“It’s another reason why the Seahawks need to trade Matt Flynn. Apart from the salary-cap benefit that comes from giving money committed to someone who isn’t in the starting lineup to someone who will be, getting rid of Flynn means getting rid of a constant reminder to Wilson that he’s getting paid peanuts in comparison to his understudy.”
I’ll admit that this is somewhat far-fetched, but my intention was to make the case for the Seahawks parting ways with Flynn and help to justify Jason Cole’s report. I’ll stay away from adding speculative ideas that are to this extent in the future.
Thanks for your comment.
I hope Matt comes back to GB as Roger’s back up again. But I know that’s doubtful.
Keep reporting the absurd and show yourselves as nothing more than a tabloid journalist. Believe me, I use the word journalist loosely. RW is not, has not and will not be whining about his contract. He is a leader by every definition and everyone knows, except for the writers it seems, that even if the Seahawks wanted to tender him to a big payday with a long term contract….THEY CAN’T…..SEE THE CBA. SHOW SOME INTEGRITY ON YOUR REPORTING.
Chris Mortensen reported the news regarding Wilson. You’ll notice that I mentioned Wilson refuted Mortensen’s report in the previous comment. The post itself is about Matt Flynn and the possibility of him being released. The only reason that I even brought up Wilson was because there’s been a lot of speculation that the difference in salaries between the QBs could lead to the Seahawks parting ways with Flynn.
Trust me, you’ll find no bigger supporter of Russell Wilson.
If you want hard-hitting journalism what are you doing on a rumors website? lol
Wison’s is NOT unhappy and given the Seahawks Cap space, there’s no reason to cut him.
Wilson did come out and say that he has no issues with his contract, but paying Flynn over $5 million to be their backup isn’t exactly the best use of their $. There were reports from a few weeks ago that the Seahawks would like to find a backup quarterback that fits Wilson’s skill set, so that they wouldn’t have to undergo a huge change if he were to get hurt. There’s at least a realistic chance Flynn is released in the coming months