Dec 30 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn (9) checks off in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 38-3. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

When I heard that Seattle signed Quinn instead of Seneca Wallace or Matt Leinart, I was confused. I thought that Quinn was the least likely to be chosen.  Quinn lacks the raw foot speed of Russell Wilson. However, he does have good footwork in the pocket and is able to shuffle his feet well enough to create room.  Don’t expect Quinn to be running the ball out of the zone read option anytime soon, though.

I was comfortable with Wallace as Matt Hasselbeck’s backup. He is not great by any measure, but he has a strong arm and can make plays with his legs. He is also someone who can take care of the ball and limit mistakes.

Following the Quinn signing I had to find out more about his abilities. What did Pete Carroll see in him above Wallace, Leinart, and Thigpen? Carroll likes players who bring a unique skill set to the team. What is  Brady Quinn’s? He had flamed out in Cleveland, Denver, and Kansas City. All three teams basically said, “thanks, but no thanks.”

After doing some reading, I learned that Quinn is, in fact, very unique, at least to Carroll. In Matt Flynn, Seattle had one of the best backups in the NFL as well as a good starter. Seattle hopes Quinn will be able to share his experience with Russell, and Russell with Quinn to create a strong quarterback room.

During my research I found an interview with Quinn’s former quarterback Coach in Kansas City, Jim Zorn. In it Zorn praised Quinn for his football IQ, work ethic, and attitude. He spoke highly of Quinn’s ability to make calls at the line of scrimmage and predict what the defense is trying to do, and put the offense in a position to be successful. This carries some weight since Zorn himself was a quarterback and has coached the likes of Trent Dilfer, Matt Hasselbeck, and Joe Flacco.

While Zorn’s opinion is valuable, the fact that Quinn has not translated his skill set onto the field for an extended period of time is troubling. He has shown flashes of being a solid NFL quarterback but has yet to prove he can play consistently at a high level.

Having a solid offensive foundation in place, including an above average receiving corps, may help Quinn out. I do believe having a quarterback who is willing to talk things out with Russell Wilson will benefit both players. Flynn was not known to share Wilson’s regimen of arriving first and leaving last, which may have been a big factor in trading him. I do not believe Carroll would have signed Quinn if he felt that Quinn would be unwilling to help the growth of Russell Wilson in the film room and playing field.

My ideal quarterback situation is to have a starter who makes those around him better, and, if needed, can take games over. I believe Seattle has that in Russell Wilson. The backup must be able to competently run the offense, not make too many mistakes, and put the ball in other play-makers’ hands. In other words, play completely and comfortably within himself and the system

It remains to be seen if Quinn is a lock to be the number two quarterback behind Russell Wilson.  Josh Portis, is also a talented quarterback who Seattle likes and resigned with the team during the off-season. The NFL draft will include players such as USC’s Matt Barkley, who played under Pete Carroll for a season, and Matt Scott, who has risen up draft boards since the combine. Scott is raw as a passer, but is able to move around well, and run the same offense that was installed for Russell Wilson.

It remains to be seen whether Quinn can live up to that standard. I will be excited to see the steps he takes in preseason to better both himself and the team.

Aug 30, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Josh Portis (2) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Raiders 21-3. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle made another roster move Thursday night signing former quarterback Josh Portis. Seattle signed Portis to be the 3^rd string Quarterback in 2011 backup Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst.  Portis then served on the practice squad last season before being let go later in the season. With the trade of Matt Flynn Seattle needed another quarterback who knew the system and decided to go with Portis.

Is Portis the quarterback Seattle feels can be the primary backup to Russell Wilson? I believe the answer is no. Portis shares many of the same skills that Wilson does, he is mobile, he can throw the ball down field and he can avoid pressure. Portis was a highly recruited Quarterback coming out of High School he attended Florida for a year before transferring to Maryland due to a lack of playing time. He was later suspended for the 2007 season due to cheating on an exam. Portis later transferred to California (PA). The fact that he was not able to find stability with a coaching staff his entire college career is concerning to me.

The problem I have with Josh Portis is he is not a great thrower in 2011 he played in three preseason games and failed to complete 50 percent of his passes coming out at an pedestrian 41.7  percent. The guy is simply not a great passer at this point and with Seattle aiming for a super bowl this year they need a backup quarterback who can move the offense. I believe if Portis gets thrown into a game that matters he will falter.

I really do like Portis as quarterback to develop for another year and see if he progresses, but the fact that Seattle was not willing to carry him on the practice squad for the entire year and another team did not take a chance on him is telling. I fully expect Seattle to sign another veteran quarterback such as Thigpen or Leinart and maybe draft a young quarterback too. Seattle needs a veteran quarterback with experience during Matt Hasselbeck’s tenure in Seattle his backups included Trent Dilfer, Brock Huard, Seneca Wallace, and Charlie Fry all Quarterbacks who had experience under their belt.

Dec 30, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) warms up before a game against the St. Louis Rams at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve know this was going to happen for a few days now, but it finally became official today. Matt Flynn is no longer with the Seattle Seahawks.

The official terms of the trade include Seattle getting a 2014 5th round pick, and a conditional pick in 2015 draft. The exact conditions on the 2015 pick are unknown other than that it is “performanced based.” It is thought to be anywhere from a 6th to  4th, but you never know with conditional picks.

This structure of the compensation makes sense for both teams. The Raiders are a bad team that needs their picks in this draft. The Seahawks, on the other hand, are already loaded with late round picks in this year’s draft and have more picks than likely open roster spots. It makes sense for both teams to want to push the compensation out into future years.

Looking back at the poll from Saturday, it seems that only 17% of fans are going to be happy with this return in the trade for Seattle’s backup passer.

Personally though, I think the Seahawks got it right here. I was expecting a 6th round pick, so getting a 5th rounder and an additional pick the following year makes this feel a bit like Christmas. Remember, this trade happened entirely for the cap space it saved the Seahawks. Any picks netted by Seattle are just a nice bonus.

Before the terms are announced, I thought it would be interesting to gauge what everyone is expecting in return for Flynn. But instead of asking what we think will happen, what i really want to know is what you’d be happy with.

Think of it as “If we get less than ____ in return, I wont be happy with this trade.”

So 12s, what do think?

Aug 30, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) looks for an open receiver during the 1st half against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Possible free agent quarterbacks Seattle could add includes Tyler Thigpen, Vince Young, Seneca Wallace, Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb, Rex Grossman and if cut by Oakland, Carson Palmer could be a target for Seattle.

I see Thigpen, Leinart, and Young as the most likely being targeted by Seattle.  Leinart played under Seattle Head Coach Pete Carroll while Carroll was at USC, and Leinart was the starting Quarterback. Seattle targeted Leinart in during the 2010 off-season when they acquired Tavaris Jackson, but Leinart chose to stay with Houston.

Leinart has an 8-10 record as a starter, and spent most of his career in Arizona but was cut after failing to beat out veterans Kurt Warner, and Derek Anderson during his time there. He is smart, accurate and able to control an offense. He lacks a big arm, and is unable to move well behind the line of scrimmage to make plays with his legs. Leinart would come cheap, and is a player who will not lose you many games, the downside is he will not be able to run the option, or be a threat doing so, and he will not make many big plays with his arm either.  I could see Leinart coming to Seattle but I would think Carroll would want someone a little more mobile to run the offense if needed.

Aug 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyler Thigpen (4) makes a pass against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter of a preseason game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Thigpen is an interesting option he was the first NFL Quarterback to run the current zone-read pistol college style offense during his time with the Chiefs. In 2008 he started 9 games, threw for 18 touchdowns, and ran for nearly 400 yards.  Despite racking up some nice stats he was unable to win many games going 1-10 as the starter. Despite a poor record he was able to move the offense, and would be able to run the zone-read option with success.

Thigpen also spent time with current Seattle Seahawk offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell during the 2007 off-season while both were in Minnesota. Thigpen was however put on waivers and claimed by the Chiefs before Minnesota could stash him on the practice squad. Thigpen’s poor record as a starter could scare Seattle away but his physical abilities would be appealing to Seattle.

The Quarterback I find the best fit on the market, but probably not a player Seattle is likely to sign is former Seattle Seahawk Seneca Wallace. Wallace spent 2003-2008 as the backup to Matt Hasselbeck during his time with Seattle, before being traded to the Cleveland Browns.  Wallace shares many of the same attributes as Russell Wilson, in skill set and size.  Both are quicker than fast, undersized, and can stretch the field with their arm.

Wallace was always able to come and move the offense while taking over for Matt Hasselbeck, but was never able to play at a consistent level over a long stretch of games. This has led to him being a career backup and he spent the last year completely out of the league. Wallace like Wilson stands under six-feet tall, and is able to make plays with the pocket brings down and would any play in the Seattle playbook. The problem is would Carroll bring back a player he traded when he came here? Would Wallace want to come back to a coach who did not want him? I think Wallace would love to take any job, but not sure if Carroll sees Wallace as his backup.

July 27, 2012; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Vince Young (10) on the field during a training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

I see these three veterans as the best fit for Seattle’s offense, other veterans such as Rex Grossman, and Vince Young could be explored. Grossman and Young do have winning record as starters in this league, Grossman however has been very inconsistent and Young is a time bomb waiting to happen with an explosive attitude. His skill set however could make Carroll give him a shot that and a 31-19 record as a starter. While I see it possible and close to plausible I feel his attitude is to much of a threat for Carroll to take a chance.

Whoever the backup is, I don’t see him actually getting any playing time. Wilson has always been able to move around to avoid big hits, and is a smart quarterback who takes care of himself.

Dec 9, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) is pressured by Arizona Cardinals cornerback William Gay (22) at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 58-0. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Reports have been flying all day that a Matt Flynn trade was “imminent.” Well, it wasn’t that imminent, since it still hasn’t happened.

What we know right now: The Raiders are the team that’s acquiring Flynn. They will release Carson Palmer to create the cap room to so.

What we “think” we know:  Supposedly the trade is “completed” from the Seahawk’s end, but the deal is waiting on the Raiders to get their salary cap situation figured out. Since cutting Palmer saves more against the cap than Flynn will cost them, I’m not sure how this is so difficult.

It also appears that rather than cutting Palmer, the Raiders might be trying to trade him to the Cardinals.

What we don’t know yet: Everything else. We have no idea what the Seahawks are getting in return. We don’t have any idea what their plan is for a backup QB once Flynn is gone.

Other Random Comments:

• The Seahawks already own the Raider’s 5th round pick this year because of the Aaron Curry trade.
• Matthew will be posting a look at possible veteran options still available for the Seahawks to replace Flynn. Hopefully that will be done by the morning.
• My wild guess for compensation for the Seahawks is that the Seahawks give the Raiders back their 5th round pick along with Flynn in exchange for the Raider’s 4th round pick and 5th rounder in 2014.
• Why that compensation? Only because the idea of giving the Raiders the pick they’ve already traded to to the Seahawks is entertaining to me. It’s like a game of Aaron Curry hot potato.

Draft Implications?:

• I think this trade means that the Raiders don’t believe that Geno Smith with get past Jacksonville at #2 overall in the draft.
• A huge contingent of people from the Raiders were on hand for Matt Barkley’s workout at USC, and then promptly contacted Seattle about Flynn. Connect those dots everyone.

Dec 9, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) passes against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Arizona, 58-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Late Thursday night it was reported by NFL.com that after things had been heating in the trade rumors section between Jacksonville and Seattle, Matt Flynn is suddenly off of the Jaguars’ radar. Apparently new coach Gus Bradley has had enough time to evaluate Blaine Gabbert and will pass on Flynn.

While Flynn seems to be more cold than hot on the market these days, it looks like the Oakland Raiders may want to pull the trigger with Seattle. It’s believed by a few close to the organization that they have “legitimate interest” and could be staring down that barrel soon. Of course Oakland is still carrying a certain Carson Palmer, but the new ownership and management doesn’t seem too impressed by an average of 18 turnovers and around an 82.5 quarterback rating over the past couple of seasons.

Would Flynn be an upgrade for Oakland?: I think so, he’s six years younger at 27 and has a whole ton more upside to him at this point in his career than Palmer does. Flynn is also more mobile than the aging Palmer, who was sacked 26 times last season, the 5th season that Palmer has taken at least 25 sacks in his career. Basically if you’re a Raider, you have to think it won’t get worse with Flynn at the helm and the upside of not having to draft a starting quarterback in this draft opens up the option to trade back in the first and attain more picks. Since Oakland has the most holes to fill on their roster, that would be a great move. They might even find a way to draft some protection for their new signal caller.

What it means for Seattle: If the Raiders don’t come through by putting an offer on the table, Flynn could more than likely stay in Seattle for another season, not to mention the Seahawks find themselves in the precarious position of having to eat some more money, regardless of whether they release him at this time. There’s always the thought of trading during the draft, but it becomes more complicated when comparable quarterbacks will be on the board.

Dec 30, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) warms up before a game against the St. Louis Rams at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, Jason La Canfora of CBS wrote that the Jaguars, Raiders, and Bills all remain “in the mix” for Seattle backup QB Matt Flynn. Just when most 12s were getting used to the idea that Flynn was going to be back in 2013, things are heating up on the trade front again.

I believe that the Seahawks will trade Flynn, and I’m willing to bet they takes less in compensation than anyone expects in order to get a deal done too. This isn’t about talent. It’s about cap space.

Trading Flynn now saves the Seahawks $3.25 million in cap space in 2013, and another $2 million in cap space in 2014 . (If he’s not traded now, he’ll certainly be cut before free agency a year from now, resulting in $2 million of dead money at that time.) That’s $5.25 million in total cap space that can be used to re-sign one of the team’s young stars.

That $5.25 million in cap space is likely what allows this team to keep Kam Chancellor. The team already has huge pay days coming for Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas. They have a plan for that. A little extra cap space now will allow the team to get Kam’s deal done, as well.

Ultimately it’s about priorities. Is keeping Flynn as an insurance policy for a Wilson injury in 2013 worth losing Kam Chancellor in free agency? In my opinion, he’s not. Keeping a young member of this team’s defensive core is simply more valuable than a backup QB.

It should also noted that cutting Flynn doesn’t work in this case. He still has guaranteed money on his contract, and so cutting him does not provide the cap relief that trading him does.

Putting all that together means that the cap space alone would be a sufficient return for Flynn. Any draft pick would just be icing on the cake. Expect a trade to get done at some point before the draft.

August 18 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

When it became clear that Matt Flynn was on the trading block I must confess I had mixed feelings. I like Flynn and I feel for him because things probably didn’t work out exactly as he planned last year through no fault of his own. The ascendance of Russell Wilson was something that very few predicted and Flynn had done nothing to lose his perch atop the Seahawks depth chart except be in competition with a truly special player. I hope he gets an opportunity to start because I think he’s among the 32 best QB’s in the league and deserves a shot. Additionally the return the Seahawks stand to gain in terms of draft picks and salary cap relief is going to be very useful, both for resigning a guy like Kam Chancellor and restocking the roster with quality depth. I understand and agree with the rationale behind dealing Flynn but the eternal pessimist in me really would like an elite Russell Wilson insurance policy in a year where the Seahawks are really going for it. That said, although it looks like the Raiders, Jaguars, and Bills are the front runners for Flynn, rumors of his departure got me thinking of just how many teams Matt Flynn could start for at this moment in time. I’m a guy who likes to base his theories on statistics and to be honest there aren’t a ton of statistics on Flynn so this is more subjective than I’d like, but it’s just a fun thought experiment.  Quarterback depth charts aren’t finished yet but there isn’t a star QB in the draft that I’m convinced would be better than Flynn anyway.  So let’s take a look at just how many teams Mr. Flynn could start for in today’s NFL:

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

#1 QB: Tavaris Jackson

Is Flynn an upgrade? Yes. The Seahawks brought in Flynn as an upgrade over Jackson just a year ago and Buffalo seems to be gunning for Flynn so this one is pretty easy.

New York Jets

#1 QB: Mark Sanchez

Is Flynn an upgrade? Yes. Mark Sanchez is awful. Sanchez has completed 55.1% of his passes in his career with more interceptions than touchdowns. Flynn may be something of an unknown quantity but I know he’s better than Sanchez.

Miami Dolphins

#1 QB: Ryan Tannehill

Is Flynn an upgrade? Maybe, but I’ll go with no. Tannehill showed a great deal of potential as a rookie last year and could be poised for a breakout. With the kind of seasons RGIII, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson had last year people seem to forget that quarterbacks often take a while to develop.

New England Patriots

#1 QB: Tom Brady

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. Just no.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

#1 QB: Ben Roethlisberger

Is Flynn an upgrade? Definitely not. Two rings and underrated statistics place Roethlisberger among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens

#1 QB: Joe Flacco

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. You’d hope not for Baltimore’s sake given what they are paying Flacco.

Cincinnati Bengals

#1 QB: Andy Dalton

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. Dalton is no superstar but he’s a good quarterback, not one you would be looking to replace.

Cleveland Browns

Top QB on the Depth Chart: Brandon Weeden

Is Flynn an upgrade? I’d say yes. Weeden may only be a sophomore but he’s two years older than Flynn so it’s not as if there is a ton to dream on in terms of his development. I doubt the Cleveland front office would agree, but I just can’t see Weeden as a franchise player.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

#1 QB: Matt Schaub

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. Schaub is getting a great deal of flak with Houston’s failure to go deep in the playoffs the last two years but he remains a solid starting quarterback.

Indianapolis Colts

#1 QB: Andrew Luck

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. I would like to say here that Andrew Luck’s rookie year has been heavily overrated. He put up enormous yards because the Colts threw so much and he had difficulty with accuracy and avoiding turnovers. Not to say he doesn’t have an incredibly bright future ahead of him because he does, I guess that’s just a little bit of Russell Wilson fan rant that needed to come out. No one would rather have Matt Flynn than Andrew Luck though.

Jacksonville Jaguars

#1 QB: Chad Henne/Blaine Gabbert (?)

Is Flynn an upgrade? Yes. Very much so. This is where I suspect he winds up for a reunion with Gus Bradley. It’s funny how that is a storyline people have mentioned when Flynn was the backup QB and Bradley was the defensive coordinator, I wonder to what extend they know each other…

Tennessee Titans

#1 QB: Jake Locker

Is Flynn an upgrade? This is a tough one. I think in all likelihood Flynn is an upgrade on Locker who is probably a bust. However, Locker is only 25 and has only started 11 games in his career and you have to think Locker deserves a little more time to show he belongs. Verdict: Reluctant no.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

#1 QB: Peyton Manning

Is Flynn an upgrade? No.

San Diego Chargers

#1 QB: Phillip Rivers

Is Flynn an upgrade? Two years ago this question would have been a joke. Now I have to pause for a second but Rivers still deserves a chance to regain his elite form and hasn’t been as bad over the last two years as people think. (Passer Ratings of 88.7 and 88.6 just to give you an idea)

Kansas City Chiefs

#1 QB: Alex Smith

Is Flynn an upgrade? The Chiefs must not think so because they paid far more for Smith than Flynn is going to cost. Smith is better but Flynn will most likely be a better value.

Oakland Raiders

#1 QB: Carson Palmer (for now)

Is Flynn an upgrade? Sadly yes. I remember when Palmer was an elite quarterback but those days are deep in the past. Palmer has been a huge disappointment in Oakland, especially given the price they paid for him. Oakland is in the running for Flynn and I’d assume Palmer would get cut if the Raiders grab Flynn. It would be funny if we then signed Palmer as a backup but I’m getting ahead of myself.

NFC EAST

New York Giants

#1 QB: Eli Manning

Is Flynn an upgrade? No, personally I despise Manning but there is no way for me to realistically claim Flynn is the better player

Washington Redskins

#1 QB: RGIII

Is Flynn an upgrade? Easy no.

Dallas Cowboys

#1 QB: Tony Romo

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. Romo is a really good quarterback who seems one of the best in the sport at attracting undeserved criticism. Thanks for that playoff win though, Tony.

Philadelphia Eagles

#1 QB: Mike Vick

Is Flynn an upgrade? I’m going to say yes here. Vick is getting old and breaking down. He was an absolute mess last year and only demonstrated the ability to be an above average passer once, in 2010.

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers

#1 QB: Aaron Rodgers

Is Flynn an upgrade? Another quick no.

Detroit Lions

#1 QB: Matt Stafford

Is Flynn an upgrade? Stafford and the Lions had a nasty year in 2012 but this is a very easy no.

Chicago Bears

#1 QB: Jay Cutler

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. There are many dislikable things about Jay Cutler but he is a good player with a terrible supporting cast and has been for years. For some reason the Bears just can’t provide him with any pass protection (hands up if you think Jermaine Bushrod is the answer).

Minnesota Vikings

#1 QB: Christian Ponder

Is Flynn an upgrade? Maybe. This is another tough one. Despite Percy Harvin’s opinion of him Ponder is young and improving and so I don’t think I could describe Flynn as a definite upgrade.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints

#1 QB: Drew Brees

Is Flynn an upgrade? No. no. no.

Carolina Panthers

#1 QB: Cam Newton

Is Flynn an upgrade? Newton has some serious detractors but one would have to say no here.

Atlanta Falcons

#1 QB: Matt Ryan

Is Flynn an upgrade? Nope.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

#1 QB: Josh Freeman

Is Flynn an upgrade? It’s possible but Freeman still has upside remaining at 25 and if the accuracy that abandoned him last year returns he will go back to being a solid starter. Tentative no.

NFC WEST

San Francisco 49ers

#1 QB: Colin Kaepernick

Is Flynn an upgrade? Not likely

St. Louis Rams

#1 QB: Sam Bradford

Is Flynn an upgrade? First truly bold call… Yes. Bradford turns 26 this year and has only shown marginal growth as a quarterback in his three years in the league.

Arizona Cardinals

#1 QB Drew Stanton

Is Flynn an upgrade? Yes. Stanton hasn’t played a great deal more than Flynn and when he has he’s been much worse. Stanton is also a year older.

People often say things like, “Player X  could start for X number of teams” (they usually use real players and numbers to be fair) but they rarely back it up. This used to come up quite a bit with Maurice Morris when he was backing up Shaun Alexander. I figured I would actually take a look exactly how many teams I figure Flynn could start for, and based on this highly subjective analysis I’d say that he would be an upgrade at quarterback for eight teams. That’s a quarter of the NFL. Flynn is a real asset, and as much as it would be nice to keep him around he’s a luxury considering he could really be a starter elsewhere. I look forward to seeing what kind of return the Seahawks could get for someone who is quite clearly among the top 32 quarterbacks in the league. 

Than then there is the problem of his contract. If he stays, he’ll once again be among the highest paid backup QBs in the NFL. The Seahawks have enough cap space to keep him, but they also have a number of players who need new contracts, and some extra cap space this year might allow them to address that issue.

His future is clearly up in the air. At this point, its possible he’s traded or released; its even possible that stays as Wilson’s backup.

I’ve already broken down the financial implications for each of the options. Here is how it looks for all of the possibilites:

It’s prediction time: Its time to hear what you think will happen with Flynn this offseason. Remember, this isn’t what you want to see happen, it’s what you think will happen.

Aug 30, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) warms up prior to the game against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Back in November, I spelled out the salary cap implications of both cutting and trading Flynn and his contract. Since then those numbers have been used when referring to Flynn and his contract. The problem is that I made a mistake.

That mistake, was that I forgot to include the fact that the part of Flynn’s 2013 contract is guaranteed. That means that if Flynn is cut, the Seahawks will have to pay him anyways, and that portion of his salary will still count against the Seahawks’ salary cap, even if he’s playing for another team.

With the correct figures, the salary cap savings for cutting Flynn becomes less than it would cost to sign a replacement backup QB. While it’s possible that they could draft backup QB, it would be very out of character for the Seahawks to go into the draft needing a player and not having a “backup plan” vet already on the roster.

If Flynn is traded, this extra cap hit doesn’t apply. The new team takes over all salary responsibilities, even the guaranteed portion. That way, only the remaining portion of the original signing bonus counts against Seattle.

In case you’re interested in how the numbers actually work out, here they are:

*There is one detail that could solve part of this problem. It isn’t normal in contracts like this one, but it is possible that the Seahawks built “offsets” into Flynn’s contract. (This info is not available to me at this time.) Offsets mean that if Flynn signs a new contract with another team, some of the money owed to him by Seattle won’t have to be paid because he’ll be earning that money in his new contract.

If the contract does happen to have offsets, then likely this means that the Seahawks would get about $550,000 back (if full offset, less if partial offset) on their 2013 cap number. It’s hard to believe that his new contract would be structured in a way that gives Seattle more relief than the league minimum. There is simply no reason for his new team to do so, since it would only cost them money.

When you put it all together, I think the odds indicate that Flynn will either be traded, or be back in Seattle for one more season. It simply makes very little sense to cut him.

I won’t say it’s impossible that he’ll be released since I have seen weirder things happen, but it would be a very out of character waste of salary cap space to do so.

It matters to the players. Chris Clemons wrote me and thanked me for he support when I wrote an article back in June saying the Seahawks needed to get his extension done ASAP. These guys aren’t robots. Please keep that in mind.

I should also note that the Seahawks will have just over $18 mil of free salary cap space for the 2013 year (that’s estimated, since the official cap hasn’t been set yet). That number is if the Seahawks decide to keep everyone listed here, so there’s no reason the Seahawks have release any of these players. I’m just listing players who’s cap numbers make it a possibility.

Trade highly likely

Matt Flynn – $3.25 Mil in cap savings

Predictions on Flynn are all over the board. He’s on the block to be traded, and if a suitable offer comes along the Seahawks will take it. The problem is that cutting or trading Flynn means that he will count $4 mil against Seattle’s cap even though he’ll be with another team. I just don’t see the Seahawks cutting him when finding a similar quality replacement will cost more than the $3.25 mil they’ll save against the cap.

Higher probability

Ben Obomanu – $2.3 mil in cap savings -

Obomanu is entering the final year of his contract, and the Seahawks will be looking to revamp a good deal of the WR group. Obomanu has always been a great special teams performer. That and the fact that he can back up all 3 WR positions makes him more valuable to the team than most fans realize, but that’s still a lot of cap space to be used on a guy who’ll likely be the team’s 5th WR.

Zach Miller – $8 mil cap savings

Miller’s name on here wont be popular. Miller is a very good player and key player for this team moving forward. The problem is that he has an $11 mil cap number in 2013. I just have a tough time seeing him play under that contract. I don’t think the Seahawks would want to cut him, but if he refused to rework his deal they might not have any choice in the matter.

Lower Probability

Breno Giacomini – $3 mil in cap savings

Giacomini was a disappointment in his first year as a starter. He’s now due for a big pay raise in the 2nd year of his “prove it” deal he signed this past offseason. There are very few options at OT on the roster, but it’s possible the Seahawks could look to use his cap number to bring in someone else.

Red Bryant – $3.5 mil in cap savings

Bryant was a high priority re-sign a year ago after being dominant in 2010 and 2011 since his move to the 5-tech DE. 2012 though was a disappointment as Bryant battled a foot injury and then never seemed to find his grove after he got healthy. The Seahawks have a ton of cash investing into the D-line, and they may look to trim some of that back. It’s also possible that Pete Carroll will shift his scheme away from the run stuffers and look to find players who off more help against the pass. Unlikely, but possible

Aug 30, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) looks for an open receiver during the 1st half against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

I believe that the Seahawks will keep him, at least for next season. There’s a couple reason why I think that:

1) Lets make one thing very clear, the Seahawks will not cut Flynn. He is guaranteed $10 million on his contract, and they will have only paid him $6.5 mil of that by the end of this season. That means that the Seahawks would have to pay him about $3.5 mil next season anyways even they cut him. That simply isn’t going to happen.

2) Contrary to the popularly reported version of Flynn’s contract, it’s not huge, at least not after 2012 is over. The truth is that a good deal of the 3 year – $26 mil contract that was reported was tied to escalator clauses that will never be met because Flynn didn’t win the starting job back in training camp. The real deal is only for $19 mil over 3 years, which is much more palatable.

While his $6.5 mil cap hit for 2013 is a lot, it’s actually not that bad when compared to other veteran backup QBs around the league. Kolb ($10.5 mil), Hasselbeck ($7.5 mil), Tebow ($4 mil), Campbell ($3.6 mil), Orton ($2.6 mil), Tyler Thigpen ($2.5 mil) and Tarvaris Jackson ($2.2 mil) are all vet backups with large salaries. Of the entire group, Flynn is probably the best player besides Hasselbeck, though Flynn is about a decade younger.

It’s also noteworthy that starter Russell Wilson will be making just $630k, so the total money committed to the position isn’t all that much compared to most teams in the NFL.

There is another option though. The Seahawks could trade Flynn, his salary, and the remaining guaranteed money to another team. The idea has merit, since the Seahawks could save some money by switching to a lesser backup QB, and pick up a draft pick in the process. Sounds like a good idea, right?

The problem with that idea is that the Seahawks would take a $4mil cap hit if they traded Flynn for the prorated remainder of his bonus money. That means that the new backup would have to cost less than $2.5 mil for this to make net gain financially for the team.

Taking a look at the vet backups around the league, staying under that number makes it very difficult to find a good backup QB. Tarvaris Jackson is probably the best of the group, but that’s a reasonable drop-off in talent for just $300k in savings. Of course there’s always Charlie Whitehurst at just $1.2 mil, but I don’t think we want to go there.

Another problem in this scenario is that the mythical team that Matt Flynn is traded to will have to be one that’s convinced he’s starting QB material. Otherwise, there is no way they’d take on the guaranteed money left on the deal. There were only 3 teams interested in Flynn this past year, and all drafted starting QB last April, meaning that none of the 3 are in the market for a starting QB anymore. Finding a trade partner who’ll want Flynn as a starter might be impossible.

Assuming that unlikely event that Flynn is traded, the other option would be to forgo the vet backup altogether and go with a rookie to backup Wilson in 2013. This is a possibility, but one I’d highly recommend not doing. The Seahawks wont be using a high draft pick on another QB anything soon. So any rookie on the team in 2013 is going to be some very flawed mega-project that wont be ready to win a football for the Seahawks if they need him to.

Put it all together, and I just don’t think there is any way that Matt Flynn is with a team other than the Seahawks in 2013.

Now that we’re in the bye part of our season, I wanted to take a moment to evaluate what we know we have… and have not.

We have not: a quarterback controversy. In fact, yesterday I heard sports radio commentators remarking that the Jets switching out quarterbacks during a drive was actually disruptive and created a stall in drives. This was followed by advice to commit to your quarterback just like Seattle did with Wilson… that it would have been the height of stupidity to bring Flynn in just to see what he had. Hind sight is a wonderful thing! It hasn’t been that many weeks since Seattle sports commentators were calling for Flynn to play just to see what he had.

We have: an unseasoned quarterback. As good as Wilson is performing, he’s still a rookie and there will be mistakes. There were certainly plays in the first half of the Jets game where he struggled, holding on to the ball too long, not sliding when he ran for yardage, missing open receivers down field.

We have: A quarterback with amazing ability to implement learned information in the middle of a game. In spite of his youth and inexperience in the NFL, Wilson isn’t one to continually make mistakes. He has an amazing ability to filter information and implement it immediately.

We have not: a solid receiver corp. Although we have some excellent receivers, injury has kept us from being solid at this position. While Rice and Tate have been consistent, Edwards and Baldwin have been only spotty contributors (injuries) even though both looked great in training camp. Meanwhile Kearse remains untested after drops in the Viking game.

We have: An amazing Tight End. Zack Miller is golden. Whether blocking, running routes or catching the ball, he’s a favorite target down the middle and with his size, a difficult player to bring down.

We have: an amazing defense. Even though they have faced questions regarding how good they really are (optimus prime) they continue to be formidable opponents; opportunists with great speed, size and a desire to hold other team scoreless…

We have: a fantastic owner/front office.

We have: a much needed week off to heal injuries and prepare for the home stretch.

We have: a chance to be a 10-6 team! Or 11-5!

Who’s  excited?!

Overall, trades just don’t happen very often in the NFL, so the extra time just isn’t going to make the NFL trade deadline period any more interesting.

But even with all that in mind, I’ve come up with 3 trades I’d like to see the Seahawks do before Thursday’s deadline. All are fair in terms of value for both teams, and the end result nets them much needed upgrades and WR and TE, and is roughly draft pick neutral for the Seahawks because they are able to deal from positions where they have strength and depth.

Aug 30, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn (15) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

1) Matt Flynn and Golden Tate to Kansas City For QB Matt Cassell and WR Dwayne Bowe

This move just makes so much sense for both teams. The Chief’s season is over as far as competing is concerned. Matt Cassell’s tenture is done as well, and Brady Quinn has shown already that he isn’t going to be a long term answer at QB. The best thing for the Chiefs this season would be to acquire a potential QB of the future and use the rest of the season to evaluate and develop him. Bowe has said he wants out of KC and wont re-sign with them, so using him as trade bait to get that QB is probably best rather than expending draft picks.

The Seahawks have committed to Russell Wilson at QB, so Flynn’s contract is something they’ll want to move at some point. Trading Flynn leave the Seahawks without a backup QB, which is why Cassell would be a part of the deal. It would be a risk, since Cassell doesn’t know the offense, but with the bye week coming up he would get acclimated fairly quickly.

Bowe would be a big upgrade at WR for the Seahawks, and give the Seahawks a great compliment to Sydney Rice on the outside. Bowe is the type of weapon that could really be a difference maker as the Seahawks make a run for the playoffs.

2) Anthony McCoy and a 6th round pick to Tennessee for TE Jared Cook

Jared Cook was hoping that a breakout year would lead to a big contract this next offseason. Instead, a bad team and the need to block on almost play has led Cook to being frustrated and wanting out of Tennessee. Cook would be a huge upgrade at TE for Seattle, and allow them to take better advantage of multi TE sets.

Cook would also be a good candidate for a 1 year “prove it” contract that the Seahawks like to give. Plus, if they can get him to sign one, he’d be good Zach Miller insurance as they try to negotiate down his current $11 million cap number for next season.

McCoy give the Titans a young TE with upside, but low current value, and a draft pick compensation for a player who is going to be leaving anyways.

3) Marcus Trufant to Baltimore for 6th (or 5th) round draft pick.

A 5th round pick would be ideal for Seattle, and probably fair compensation for Trufant, but I’d take a 6th if it gets the deal done. The Seahawks need a roster spot for Walter Thurmond who about to come off the PUP list. Thurmond is a better fit than Trufant for Seattle’s scheme, and is a younger player with much more upside. I also keep hearing how much the Seahawk’s coaches have been impressed with Danny Gorrer, and want to expand his roll in the near future. The return of Thurmond and the emergence of Gorrer almost certainly means a decreased roll for Trufant here in Seattle.

For the Ravens though, Trufant has a lot of value. The Ravens are short handed at CB, and Trufant would be a valuable asset to them as they make a playoff run. Plus, Trufants zone coverage abilities and sure tackling make him a better fit in Baltimore’s scheme than in Seattle’s, where his lack of man to man skills are a liability.