The Matt Flynn trade talk has gone from very cold to hot again in a matter of weeks and after the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Jaguars have shown interest in the quarterback, Jacksonville is now out of the running after being the presumptive favorite.
According to ESPN.com, the Florida Times-Union is reporting that the Jaguars looked into a possible deal for Flynn and decided against it; instead they plan to go after prospect Geno Smith in the NFL draft. The paper reports that the team did its "due diligence" with Flynn and decided on moving forward with Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert instead.
Sources close to the Jaguars said that while Gus Bradley is familiar with Flynn during his time with the Seahawks, they felt better going with Gabbert and Henne as they have had more playing experience than Flynn. During his time in Green Bay, Flynn made a start and defeated the Detroit Lions while throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns.
The move for Flynn would have been tough for the Jags financially, as his contract has a $7.25 million salary cap hit this year and $8.25 million in 2014, leaving them in a tough spot. Flynn has started just two games in his career, while Gabbert has 24 starts since he has been drafted.
Flynn originally signed a three year, $19.5 million contract with the Seahawks, but he was beaten out by Russell Wilson in training camp and then was stuck on the sidelines all year. Wilson led the team to an 11-5 record and a road win over the Washington Redskins in the playoffs. The move now leaves the Raiders as the top option, as they are trying to figure out what to do next with quarterback Carson Palmer.
The team has asked Palmer to take a $3 million pay cut from his $13 million salary and after he balked at the proposal, Yahoo Sports reported that he wants out of Oakland. Sources close to the quarterback said that the money is no longer an issue and that he would rather play for a winning team as a backup than stay with the Raiders.
Palmer has made demands before, including when he was with the Bengals and threatened to retire, but this time he wants to move again. The team could release him and take a cap hit, or they could figure out a trade. The Seahawks are a possibility as they would need a backup and Pete Carroll coached Palmer, while the Arizona Cardinals could also be an option.
The Cardinals have Drew Stanton as their starter right now despite him not playing in the past two years, while Palmer would likely love to play with wideout Larry Fitzgerald. The team could grab him if he is cut, as they do not have the pieces to make a deal for him.
