Packers Will Not Franchise QB Matt Flynn

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that the Green Bay Packers will not be using their franchise tag on QB Matt Flynn.

“For all those who think the Packers can put a franchise tag on QB Matt Flynn and then trade him, consider that the Packers would have to fit in the $14 million one-year tender by releasing players,” writes Silverstein.

Addressing TE Jermichael Finley is without a doubt the Packers top priority so it would be quite risky to franchise Flynn in the hopes that they’ll be able to trade him for draft picks seems.

“They also would need to have a deal in place with Finley so that he could not walk away an unrestricted free agent,” writes Silverstein. “So, to do the Flynn maneuver, they’d have to sign Finley (and the others) AND find a way to clear $10-$14 million off their cap.”

Green Bay will have $7 million in cap space to address their free agents but that number should grow depending on what happens with players like Chad Clifton and Donald Driver. The Packers will still recoup some value for Flynn as they’ll receive a compensatory draft pick for losing him which could end up being third or fourth-selection. Not too bad considering that Flynn was a seventh-round draft pick.