GREEN BAY, Wis. — When the Packers reached an agreement Wednesday with tight end Jermichael Finley on a two-year deal, they accomplished two important things in one move.
First, the team retained Finley in a simple way instead of allowing the negotiations to get complicated very quickly. Second, the team kept its franchise tag in play.
With quarterback Matt Flynn entering free agency, general manager Ted Thompson can now find a way to get back draft picks or players in exchange for Aaron Rodgers' backup.
Flynn is 26 years old, but he has started just two games in his NFL career since being selected by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 draft.
However, one of those starts was a record-breaking performance, and it undoubtedly caught the attention of several NFL teams seeking a potential franchise quarterback. In Week 17, Green Bay already had secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, but the Detroit Lions needed a win. The Packers gave Rodgers an opportunity to rest and Flynn an opportunity to shine. Six touchdown passes and 480 yards later, Flynn was the Packers' all-time single-game leader in both categories.
Yes, it was only one game, but Flynn did in one start what many NFL quarterbacks fail to achieve in a career.
That is where Thompson and the Packers can cash in. After all, it was only a year ago that the Philadelphia Eagles traded backup quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals for a second-round pick and a young, former Pro Bowl cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
However, Green Bay can trade Flynn only if Thompson first applies the franchise tag to him. Such a move would be worth $14.4 million to Flynn for the 2012 season, but the Packers would not do so with the intention of keeping him.
While it is frowned upon in the NFL to have pre-negotiated a sign-and-trade deal with the franchise tag as leverage, it is legal and done often.
And, as is the case every offseason, several teams are desperate for a quarterback and likely will be in touch with Thompson.
The most logical fit for Flynn is the Miami Dolphins. Their top quarterback from 2011 is Matt Moore, who finished the season with 16 touchdown passes, nine interceptions and a 60.5 percent completion rate. That's not awful, but Moore is not a franchise cornerstone. The Dolphins' 0-7 start last season made them a front-runner to land Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the draft, but their ensuing three-game winning streak ruined that opportunity.
Add in that former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has been hired to be the Dolphins' head coach, and there's a clear front-runner to go after Flynn.
The Seattle Seahawks would also be a great trade partner for similar reasons. Seattle's top quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson, but his 14-touchdown pass, 13-interception, five-fumble 2011 season means that the Seahawks are in the market for a better option. Plus, Seattle's general manager, John Schneider, was the Packers' director of football operations until 2010, so he knows Flynn well.
Though the Cleveland Browns are quarterbacked by Colt McCoy, whom they drafted just two years ago in the third round, they are reportedly in the market for a replacement and have interest in Flynn. McCoy had 14 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 2011, which is not terrible but led to only a 4-12 record.
Finally, there is always the possibility the Washington Redskins will spend big money to land Flynn. Redskins owner Dan Snyder is never stingy when it comes to adding talent, and Flynn would be a marked improvement over another season of Rex Grossman. Grossman, who lost his starting job to John Beck midway through the season but later got it back, had 16 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions in 2011.
No matter who gets Flynn, they'll be getting a winner. Before falling into the final round of the 2008 draft, Flynn led LSU to a victory in the BCS title game in which he was chosen the offensive Most Valuable Player.
The Packers have until March 5 to put the franchise tag on Flynn, but one thing is certain: His future is not in Green Bay given the contract he'll get with or without the tag.
The team of Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have done again what they have become known for: turning a late-round pick into an asset. The only difference this time is that asset will likely pay off in a handsome trade return instead of on-the-field success.
Let the bidding begin.
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