The Buffalo Bills are still in the market for a new starting quarterback after releasing Ryan Fitzpatrick and general manager Buddy Nix and the team has set their sights on Seattle Seahawks backup Matt Flynn in a possible trade deal.
According to CBSSports.com, the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders have all expressed interest in acquiring the quarterback. The report says that all deals have been progressing slowly and that the Jaguars are the likely front runner since they have the most amount of cap room of the three teams. The report says that a fourth or fifth round pick could net the quarterback, although the Seahawks could ask for more.
Flynn signed a three-year, $19.5 million deal before last season and was beaten out in training camp by Russell Wilson, who took the Seahawks to the playoffs after going 11-5 during the season. Flynn hasn't had much experience starting in the NFL, but he did throw six touchdowns and nearly 500 yards against the Lions while with the Packers in a start for Aaron Rodgers.
The Raiders are a possibility after trying to get quarterback Carson Palmer to take a pay cut, but so far there has been no progress, with Adam Schefter reporting that Paler is "highly unlikely" to take a cut. The quarterback was acquired from the Bengals before last season and he is due $13 million in 2013.
The Bills have an opening at quarterback after releasing starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was a disappointment since signing a six-year, $60 million deal. He went 20-33 as the starter over the past few seasons and the team went just 6-10 last year in the AFC East. Fitzpatrick passed for 3,400 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, but he also had 16 interceptions and had a career-high 23 in 2011.
Fitzpatrick started off well by going 5-2 in 2011, but they fell back after and over his 55 games with the team he had 80 touchdowns and 64 interceptions. The Jaguars have Blaine Gabbert on the roster along with Chad Henne, but both quarterbacks have struggled at times, including Gabbert, who was a top 10 pick.
Flynn would be an upgrade over both quarterbacks for the Jaguars and he also would be an upgrade over Tavaris Jackson, who is the likely option if the team can't work out a deal. There is a chance that all three teams could draft Geno Smith instead, but obviously they all can't. Depending on who goes after Flynn the hardest could leave Smith as the backup option come April.
The free agent market for quarterbacks has dried up with Fitzpatrick and Matt Hasselbeck signing with teams and Kevin Kolb is still an option. The Jets have shown interest in Kolb and they could be a very wild card when it comes to Flynn. The Jets still have to figure out what they want to do with Tim Tebow, as they would like to deal him but can't find a trade partner.
