Now that the Alex Smith trade has been confirmed to the Kansas City Chiefs, it leaves one major quarterback name off the market for any teams looking for a new starter, making Seattle Seahawks backup Matt Flynn the most desirable trade option in the NFL.
The Chiefs had to pay a steep price for Smith by trading away their second round pick in 2013 and a conditional high pick next season and since Flynn has less of a resume than Smith, chances are teams will have to give up less to acquire him. The Chiefs had issues at quarterback all last season with Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn and new head coach Andy Reid felt it was a move he had to make.
The NFL draft is considered to be weak for quarterbacks after last year's picks of Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck and although there are a number of solid names like Geno Smith, Mike Glennon and Matt Barkley, teams have not seen any of those prospects as sure things like last season.
The Chiefs trade was made in part due to how Reid viewed the crop of free agent quarterbacks and prospects, so instead of taking someone with the number one pick, he went out and got a quarterback that was a former number one overall pick himself. Flynn would have been a solid option for the Chiefs as well, but it is likely Reid saw Smith as the more proven option after taking the 49ers to the NFC championship game two years ago.
Smith went 19-5-1 over the past two years, while Flynn has not had the chance to start at all since heading to the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn was viewed as the presumptive starter after signing a big contract with the team after leaving the Packers in free agency, but Pete Carroll gave Russell Wilson the starting job after seeing him in training camp, making Flynn the odd man out in Seattle.
Flynn has been mentioned in trade rumors with the New York Jets after the poor play they had after last season with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow and the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals also could be players in a trade. Last season the Browns went just 5-11 and had a rookie quarterback in Brandon Weeden and they could see Flynn as a chance to start over with a new coach, new general manager and a new quarterback.
The Arizona Cardinals also could be in the mix for Flynn, as they had mediocre to awful play from all of their quarterbacks last season, including Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and John Skelton. The team suffered a 58-0 defeat against the Seahawks and a 7-6 loss on the road against the Jets that contributed to a 4-12 campaign that saw the coach fired.
Bruce Arians is the new head coach in Arizona and after dealing with a rookie quarterback last season with Andrew Luck, he may want a more veteran thrower like Flynn or even Tebow. Flynn had some amazing numbers in his limited chances in Green Bay, setting a team record with six touchdown passes in 2011 against the Detroit Lions that also saw him throw for 480 yards.
Flynn is expendable in Seattle despite signing the three-year deal since Wilson was so good last season and led the team to an 11-5 record and the playoffs. Wilson is now the legitimate starter and the Seahawks are considered to be a Super Bowl favorite, meaning Flynn could be on his way out of town.
