The Oakland Raiders have acquired Seatle Seahawks backup quarterback Matt Flynn in exchange for late-round picks in both 2014 and 2015, the latter of which is based on Flynn's performance with the Raiders over the next two seasons.
As it is, general manager Reggie McKenzie got that veteran quarterback to compete with Terrelle Pryor for the starting job. Seattle, on the other hand, acquires a pick or two for a player that it really had no need for. This doesn't even take into account the ample amount of money that it sent packing to Northern California today.
You can fully expect 'Hawks general manager John Schneider to look through the free-agent market in order to find a reliable backup for Russell Wilson. It just wasn't sustainable to keep Flynn on the roster, especially considering that he will now by vying for a starting job with the Raiders.
Flynn was set to be a hot commodity last April. He was coming off a Packers' franchise record six-touchdown performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 17 with Aaron Rodgers resting up for the playoffs. However, a market never really materialized for Flynn, who ended up signing a three-year, $19 million deal with Seattle to compete for its starting gig. After Wilson impressed in training camp, Pete Carroll and company never looked back.
Flynn will now come to Oakland in order to compete with another youngster for the starting gig. The difference here is that Pryor is no Wilson. This leads me to conclude that Flynn should easily come away the victor in the training camp battle.
This is also believed to have set in motion a deal between the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals for Carson Palmer. Less than two years after giving up a first and second round pick for Palmer, it appears that the Raiders are content to receive a fifth-round pick in return for the embattled veteran starter.
As it relates to the Cardinals, they get a veteran to compete with Drew Stanton for the starting gig. In a related move, Arizona released John Skelton to make room for Palmer.
Cardinals' quarterbacks have been sacked a total of 112 times over the last two seasons and the team has done absolutely nothing to address this shortcoming in the offseason. While Bobby Massie played extremely well towards the end of the 2012 season. a starting group that included Nate Potter and Adam Snyder really isn't going to get it done against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams in the NFC West. Just imagine Snyder going up against the likes of Justin Smith, Cliff Avril and Michael Brockers. In my humble opinion, that's not fair.
Palmer's first choice, and for good reason, was to join the San Francisco 49ers as a backup to Colin Kaepernick. Once they acquired former Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback Colt McCoy earlier in the day, that possibility pretty much came to an end.
Arizona will need to bulk up its offensive line if it expects Palmer to stay upright and actually perform up to level. If not, it's going to be a long stay in the desert for Palmer.
To sum up....
Seattle Seahawks send Matt Flynn to the Oakland Raiders for two late-round picks (2014 and 2015).
Oakland Raiders on the verge of sending Carson Palmer to the Arizona Cardinals for a fifth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns trade Colt McCoy and a sixth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for picks in the fifth and seventh rounds.