The Oakland Raiders are heading into the April draft with some issues at quarterback after being unable to come to an agreement with Carson Palmer on a pay cut, leaving the team to look at a number of their options, most notably Seattle Seahawks backup Matt Flynn.
According to NFL.com, the Raiders have "legitimate" interest in dealing for Flynn, as things with Palmer have not gone as planned, with the quarterback thinking about moving to a backup role with a winning team rather than sticking it out with the Raiders. CBS Sports reported this week that the Jaguars, Bills and Raiders have expressed interest in Flynn, with Oakland now becoming the front runner. (UPDATE: CBS Sports is reporting that the Raiders are ready to acquire Flynn).
Palmer is set to make $13 million this season, which is one reason why the Raiders want him to take a pay cut, but so far all talks have gone nowhere. According to Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports, Palmer is not concerned with the money in his contract, as he rather would leave the team for a club that has the chance to win, even if it is in a backup role.
Palmer has made demands before, including when he was with the Bengals and refused to play and threatened to retire until he was traded, which eventually happened in the middle of the season. Sources spoke to Silver and said that there is "a sense that Oakland's prospects for success in 2013 are so bleak that money is no longer the predominant factor in his thought process,"
Even though he would be in a backup role, Palmer would rather leave the team than deal with another season in Oakland. That type of attitude has prompted the Raiders to look into Flynn, as it is not a guarantee they could draft Geno Smith, as the Jaguars have the number two pick ahead of them. If the Raiders decide to release Palmer they will still have $9.34 million against the cap, but they may feel that it is their only move.
General manager Reggie McKenzie has spoken about getting Terrelle Pryor more time as quarterback, meaning they could use him as a starter if they can't acquire Flynn. The Seattle backup doesn't have much starting experience, but he did throw for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a start with the Packers while starting against the Lions.
Flynn signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks and expected to start, but Russell Wilson beat him out in training camp and kept him on the sidelines, as he led the team to an 11-5 record and a playoff win against the Washington Redskins. The team still could take Smith and get rid of Palmer, but since the draft is no guarantee, the Raiders are checking out all avenues they can take.
The free agent market for quarterbacks has dried up, as Jason Campbell and Ryan Fitzpatrick have signed with teams, leaving Kevin Kolb as one of the top names available. The Jets could be a wild card for Palmer or Flynn, while Smith could also end up with the Bills.
