I think they may franchise him, but there is a risk since they'd have multi millions tied up in the backup qb position. still there is very little chance they don't get a high pick from it, so it's the smart move

THE Truth Wrote:
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> Brett Favre, Steve Young, Matt Schaub, Marc
> Bulger, Rich Gannon, Matt Hasselbeck, Kurt
> Warner...
>

Brett Favre was drafted 33rd overall by the Falcons. He threw a total of 2 passes as a rookie. Green Bay traded a #1 pick for him based on his college career and potential. His salary was less than $400k per season. So, while it was a #1 pick, the financial risk was non-existent, and there was no salary cap to worry about.

Steve Young played 2 years in the USFL, after signing a 10 year $40M contract. He went to Tampa as the first pick in the supplemental draft, and started 19 games for them. He was traded to San Fran for a 2nd and a 4th. He then spent 4 years as Joe Montana's backup before becoming the starter. So, 8 years into his career, he became a star.

Marc Bulger was cut by the Saints and spent two weeks on the practice squad of the Falcons. He was never a backup for another NFL team before joining the Rams.

Rich Gannon was with the Vikings for 6 years, the final 2 as a starting QB. Then he spent a year in Washington as a part time starter. Then he spent 4 years in KC, starting the last season and a half or so. Finally, in his 12th NFL season, he lands in Oakland and excels.

Matt Hasselbeck spent 3 years as a backup in Green Bay. Holmgren, his old coach, traded for him to bring him with him to Seattle. And the cost to acquire him was basically a 3rd rd pick. He started most of the games the next 2 years, but lost some playing time to Trent Dilfer. Finally, in his 6th year, with 23 starts under his belt, he became one of the better QBs.

After initially being cut, Kurt Warner went to the Arena League, where he dominated. When he got back to the NFL, he went to NFL Europe, and dominated. He spent a year in St. Louis as a backup. He was never another team's backup in the NFL.

Other than Schaub, how are any of these comparable to Matt Flynn? Flynn is going to get a boat load of money. Again, other then Schaub, that wasn't the case for any of these examples. Flynn was a 1 year starter in college. He has started 2 NFL games. He was a 7th rd pick. He is 6'2, 225. Schaub is 6'5, 240. And Schaub set many school records in college and was a 3rd rd pick. And Schaub had 30 more career attempts than Flynn. So, while the Schaub comparison is valid, it's not a pure match, either.

I like Flynn. But, the cost of acquiring him is going to be huge. And the associated risk is huge. He has very little track record to go on, even in college. Matt Schaub got 6 years, $48M, and that was in 2007. Matt Cassel got 6 years, $63M. Kevin Kolb got 5 years, $63M. These are the deals that his contract is going to be based on. That is huge money for a guy with 2 starts on his resume.

Don't mess with the Mark, Truth. He always has the facts.

I see your point, Treasure.

I would have put a package together for him two years ago as I said when he beat out broham. he has been showing lots of promise in preseason games in his limited starts. It really surpirses me that with all the "experts" and teams designated to scouting other teams backups teams dont seem to know about guys until they have breakout preformances. I have mentioned trading for flynn in the past and the other guy i would trade for right now is dennis dixon... get these questionmark guys on your team for low cost. If you wait to long you give to much and get stuck with them for 2-3 years.

dennis dixon isn't even the #2 qb in Pitt, Charlie Batch is. If he was all that, don't you think he'd at least be the backup by now?
flynn on the other hand is the #2 and has played like a #1 when given the opportunity. no comparison between the 2 IMO

he put those crazy numbers up against a team that could not compete, and had no desire to do so the last game of the year

remember what Brady did to us the last game of the season last year?

what? the lions were playing for seeding in the playoffs. i think they had plenty of motivation since losing means they will face the Saints in the first round of the playoffs.

dolphin Wrote:
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> remember what Brady did to us the last game of the
> season last year?

lol I sure do.

He caused Henne to get benched.

We damn near got shutout if it weren't for Thigpen throwing to Bess for a one handed TD catch in the 4th quarter. Our asses got handed to us 38-7.

It all stunk so bad I can still smell it.

berkeley223 Wrote:
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> dennis dixon isn't even the #2 qb in Pitt, Charlie
> Batch is. If he was all that, don't you think he'd
> at least be the backup by now?
> flynn on the other hand is the #2 and has played
> like a #1 when given the opportunity. no
> comparison between the 2 IMO


yeah and to be honest i dont understand it. Dixon is young and with big ben hurt that game that batch played in i dont think mattered much by way of seeding. If dixon lights it up you have a chance to cash in on maybe a second round pick for him and you got him for a fifth.


However even though i have been buying dixon stock for years to me pittsburg is the standard when in comes to talent evaluation. He is the third qb on the roster so I would agree that means something. It is just hard for me to believe based on what i saw in oregon that he cant beat out batch

All these folks calling for Flynn better do the homework. The Lions D-backfield has issues. I will not say they suck but they are not that good.

See Jay Feidler Matt Cassel and caleb Hanie

flynn played in more than just 1 game against the lions. he also played a very good game against the pats last year. yes he could suck but he's shown much more than kolb and hanie did. Cassel is a closer comparison. But at least flynn has success in college while Cassel was a backup at USC.
but yes I am totally wary of other teams' backups

Matt Flynn wreeks of Matt Cassell, to me.


He was a 7th round pick for a reason. He has a loaded offense, that is *VERY* QB friendly.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

Excellent post DolfanMark



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2012 08:33AM by sconigli.

so A and O, assuming no luck or RG3, what do you want to do? draft one of the "lesser QBs" (Jones, Tannehil, Wheedon), sign Flynn to big $$ but likely no trade compensation, or stick with Moore and suck for Barkley next year (we won't get him either). It's really gonna be one of those options.

I actually think Jones will be "reached" just like Ponder was. No to Wheedon...dude will be 30. Just look at Chris Wenke and John Beck.


To be honest with you, Berk. Im just not sure. I dont know what to do if we cant get RG3 or Luck.

I mean, I assume Flynn is a more viable option than an already questionable collegiate QB's in Tannehill, Cousins, or some other loser.

But we need someone opposite of Matt Moore.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

I am leaning towards Flynn, though every instinct I have is against it. He probably won't cost a draft pick (depending on how GB plays it) so we could use our picks on filling other holes. If there is a 50% chance Flynn busts, a 30% chance he becomes great, and a 20% chance he is just average---maybe we should just roll the dice, given all of our bad luck one of these should go our way eventually

I think there is zero chance of getting luck, and I don't see RG3 being obtainable either.

I'd take do the following, assuming we can't move up "reasonably" to get Griffin.

1. Take the best big play WR, OLB, DE, or RT in the first.
2. Take Tannehill, Jones, or Foles in the second, or what we didn't get in the first.
3. and so on in the third, but add FS and RB to the list.
4. and so on.
5. and so on.
6. and so on.
7. and so on and hope they all stick.

I think I'd rather have Flynn and more draft picks over Griffin and fewer picks. If we fail to get either of those guys then I'd take Tannehill...even If I have to reach to get him.

Because even if I picked up Flynn and drafted Griffin or Tannehill...then in 2013 or 2014 I'd take another QB with an eye toward upgrading the bottom two guys on the roster. In fact I'd take one every two years until we had a solid starter and a good group of guys behind him.

The real test for a QB comes when opposing defenses have a book on him. When they have seen enough film on him to figure out his tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. This is especially true for backups on good teams. Think about this. Over the years, many good teams have survived short stints by their backup QBs. Why? Because good teams usually have a good supporting cast, with lots of weapons on offense. So, the backup QB comes in, the other team doesn't quite know how to play him, and the backup QB looks pretty damn good. As time goes by, it gets tougher for that backup QB as defenses figure him out.

I like what Flynn has showed. But, this is a very inexperienced QB. He was a one year starter in college and was just a 7th round pick. Until he proves himself over a longer stretch of games, he is a huge, huge risk. And when you look at the contracts for Kolb and Cassel, the dollar commitment to Flynn could be in excess of $60M. If a team signs Flynn for that kind of money, and they are wrong about his abilities, that team is going to be set back for years.

I promise you one thing though, Mark....I bet he is better than Chad Henne.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

I don't think any team in their right mind would pay Flynn >60 million just because he torched the 23rd worst pass defense in the NFL. A lot of that yardage came after the catch thanks to having great receivers if you watch the highlights.

It would probably be cheaper and wiser to pay for Manning who is already proven rather than fall in love with Flynn and his performance in just a couple of games, one in particular.