Matt Flynn remains the property of the Seahawks, multiple days after reports emerged that he’ll be traded to the Raiders.
But the widespread belief for now is that the trade will indeed get done, and that it will happen soon.
The two teams have haggled over draft-pick compensation, with former Green Bay colleagues Reggie McKenzie and John Schneider, now the General Managers of the Raiders and Seahawks, respectively, twisting each other’s arms to get the best possible deal.
If/when (when) Flynn becomes a Raider, the question becomes whether the Raiders will remain interested in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (if they ever were in the first place). With Flynn not getting huge money and with the Raiders still lukewarm on Terrelle Pryor, the Raiders could take Smith with the third overall pick.
The other practical consequence of Flynn’s arrival in Oakland will be the departure of Carson Palmer, either by trade (with a greatly reduced contract) or by release. He reportedly is interested in playing for the Cardinals or 49ers. (We still think the Seahawks make the most sense, if he truly prefers being a backup on a contender to being the starter for another struggling team.) If Palmer lands in Arizona, that’s another top-10 team that could pass on Smith.
Now that the Bills have Kevin Kolb and Tarvaris Jackson, they could be out of the running for a rookie quarterback in the top 10.
That’s three teams reportedly interested in Geno Smith and/or Matt Barkley who could be passing on passers at the top of round one, which could fuel a slide for all quarterbacks out of the top 10 and, barring a trade, straight through the teens.
Unless, of course, Shaun King of NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk is accurate in his strong belief that the Jaguars will take Smith with the second selection in the draft.