pehawk":1fw919t8 said:
Flynn did beat out a rookie the Packers invested in the year he was drafted. He beat out a high 2nd rounder. He's not great, but give him a little credit.
I agree. Flynn, while mostly "unproven" has shown enough to warrant a QB needy team taking a chance on him. (NFL teams take chances on "unproven" players all the time. The QB position is important and teams need to look to make savvy moves like this in order to address that valuable position.) I think this is a great move by the Raiders and this move could make other QB needy teams look inept by mid-season. I am of the opinion Matt Flynn is a gamer and will be fun to watch compete in the AFC west. He looked fine in preseason and I would've been thrilled to have him lead our Hawks if not for the emergence of Wilson. I'll bet this was somewhat a mix of doing the player right (while not just cutting him, b/c he would've had value to the team this year), and part locker room presence factors. (Please, contract/money guys... don't pitch a fit with me AGAIN and say this was ONLY about money / unloading his contract. I get it/ I'm sure we all get it to some degree... this was a decent move for the Hawks in that regard. I'm merely talking about the guy as a football player here. No one needs to drive home that point just to make themselves look like all-knowing Seahawks fans at the expense of others... unless it's obviously humorous and done in understandably good ribbing fun.)
Anyway, this is also a statement to Russell Wilson that he is the guy, etc., etc. I'll bet there wasn't an explicit problem... but, I'm sure it wasn't completely comfortable. While this leaves the Hawks lacking a competent backup QB at the moment, somehow I'm thinking there is a sense of relief with all parties involved - JS/PC, RW, Flynn, the Raiders, Seahawks teammates, etc. I think the only one probably not satisfied overall by this is T. Pryor.
If all the Seahawks got were a 5th in 2014 and possibly a 5th in 2015... then, I'm fine with it as long as this trade translates into also further helping the team in some way THIS YEAR. (We'll see what follows.) Still, I think the QB position is more valuable and a bit surprised that he only fetched lower draft picks. I could have seen a higher pick in 2015. Perhaps that pick can escalate to a mid-round pick. looking forward to the details and hopeful, though not expecting much at this point.) I could honestly see Flynn doing better in Oakland with the talent on offense around him than Alex Smith may do in KC. SF has got to be somewhat smug about this with what they were able to get for an older and aging A. Smith vs. what the Hawks weren't able to get for Flynn (even though it does make some sense with comparing NFL experience.) What does that do for Andy Reid if A. Smith is merely average there and Matt Flynn emerges in Oakland? I'm not one for predictions, but - compensation aside - I think Oakland got the better deal for a player with more tread left on the tires. Alex Smith is under a ton a pressure (as is A. Reid) to do well fast. Flynn, not as much. He's in a pretty good position now. I seriously doubt any of the rookie QB's could come in and beat out a Veteran who has sat under both Rodgers and Wilson. Bill Walsh would park any rookie (except for maybe Wilson!) and go with that sort of veteran who is primed to flourish and only needs the chance.
I'm not as much of a Raider-hater as I once was during the AFC west days (though I'm only a Seahawks fan - no "2nd favorite team" thing going on - though I can watch other teams). So, I look forward to seeing if Flynn is able to win the starting job there. From those 2 games he played... he was definitely exciting to watch play. The jokers who are talking smack about RW sophomore slump garbage have only that to hope for if they hate the hawks. If any Seahawks fan expects to see such a thing... I got nothing to say to help you begin to get educated about football (and I don't mean that as harsh or from some superiority position.) Especially with the addition of Percy Harvin and RW having a full offseason to prepare as the starter... I only see RW being an even better team leader (and I'm not concerned so much about stats... just overall team production.) A player that gets lofty comparisons to Peyton Manning and Fran Tarkenton as a rookie is going to be just fine. Even if some want to argue he didn't play up to expectations after the season... this is still a TEAM game. Russell Wilson's immeasurables are simply not going away and the Seahawks are set for years with an elite, possibly future HOF QB.
Go Hawks!!!