Matt Flynn Fantasy News

Monday, May 14, 2012, 4:03pm

Seattle rookie Russell Wilson will be part of the competition to become Seattle's starting quarterback this fall, coach Pete Carroll said Sunday as the team concluded a three-day minicamp for rookies.
"He showed us enough," Carroll said. "He's in the competition."

Wilson was the team's third-round pick, and he will join a competition that already included free-agent addition Matt Flynn and incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson.

Wilson was very impressive on Friday when the Seahawks began the minicamp, taking every repetition during the 11-on-11 drills. He was intercepted on several deep passes during Saturday's practice, but after concluding the workouts on Sunday, Carroll raved about his readiness.

"He did an excellent job of demonstrating that he prepared for this," Carroll said.

The coach estimated Wilson was on the field for 500 snaps all told and threw close to 400 passes. Carroll estimated there was only one time he stumbled on the verbiage of calling a play, demonstrating Wilson's familiarity with a West Coast offense. Wilson ran that system first at North Carolina State and later at Wisconsin.

Saturday, May 5, 2012, 5:03pm

HC Pete Carroll was asked if the Seahawks QB competition between Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson had an expiration date.

"There's no timeline," Carroll said. "The format is really just to do everything I can to organize it and orchestrate so that they get a legit shot at showing what they can do."

The scrutiny for 2012 has already begun. Who had better velocity Friday? Looked like Jackson, but it was closer than you might expect. Flynn had the edge in accuracy.

Friday, April 20, 2012, 4:12pm

Seahawks GM John Schneider said receiver Sidney Rice will be the healthiest he's ever been since entering the NFL.

Rice, who underwent a separate surgical procedure on each shoulder this offseason, he's not expected to practice in the offseason minicamps, but Schneider seemed encouraged about his prospects for the fall.

"This is the healthiest he's going to be since he's been a professional," Schneider said.

Matt Flynn not guaranteed starting job
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 11:24pm

If Matt Flynn was under the impression that he'd be an automatic starter with his new NFL team, his new head coach -- Seattle's Pete Carroll -- disabused him of that notion rather quickly. It is not known what kind of starter security Flynn was offered by new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin (Flynn's offensive coordinator in Green Bay), but Flynn signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks on Sunday that guarantees him $10 million and could top out at $26 million. What that contract did not guarantee him, as Carroll said during a Monday media conference call, was immediate job security over Tarvaris Jackson. The reality may be different, but Carroll stuck to his "Always Compete" manifesto from the start.

"We're very clear how we delivered the message that we now have the opportunity to make it an open competition," Carroll said. "Tarvaris is well ahead, and he's the guy that's here and working for us now. I talked to [Tarvaris] yesterday, that what we're doing with Matt -- bringing him in here to compete for the job, make everybody better, and help our football team. That's really clearly where it is. There are really no surprises here."

Monday, April 2, 2012, 6:19pm

After missing out on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn, Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland has come under fire.

It was just nearly two weeks ago that disgruntled fans held a demonstration outside the Dolphins complex holding signs that read "Fireland." The thought that there is no plan is something Ireland has had troubles escaping as of late.

"We're only halfway through the process," he said following the fan demonstration. "It includes the draft and more free agency."

If you ask Ireland (and NFL.com did) about how he feels the team has handled themselves, he believes they have yet to encounter any major blunders.

"I haven't missed out on too many players I've gone after," Ireland told NFL.com. "Peyton Manning? I'm a small piece of that situation. Matt Flynn? That was half his decision, and it was half our decision."

No matter whose decision it may be the Dolphins appear to have been experiencing at least some difficulty. If there is a sentiment shared among players in the NFL that Miami is not a place you want to go, it is Ireland's job to dispel any such thought.

Ireland insists he has a plan and things just play out the way the play out.

"Sometimes you bring in guys to get to know them," Ireland told NFL.com. "Just because you bring him in, it doesn't mean you're absolutely going after him. Sometimes, you bring him in to see if there's chemistry between him and the coach. Sometimes, I bring a guy to take a physical. Sometimes, they don't pass a physical. But I'm not able to disclose situations like that.

"It's a perception that I think is wrong, that I'm losing out on guys."

Perception is a funny thing because, like beauty, it is all in the eye of the beholder. One has to wonder what the quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft not named Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III might see in Miami. Of course if you are Matt Moore, the view might not be so bad.

Dolphins aren't convinced Matt Flynn is a franchise QB
Saturday, March 31, 2012, 12:24am

GM Jeff Ireland wouldn't disclose details of those negotiations, but a Dolphins source said the team only was willing to offer Matt Flynn nearly $4 million per year because they weren't convinced he was a franchise quarterback. Seattle ended up paying him more than double at nearly $8 million per year on a three-year deal.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 4:41pm

QB Matt Flynn chose the Seahawks over the Dolphins because he felt the Seahawks offered a better situation and have a better chance to win now. Flynn has not been promised the starting job and will be in a competition with Tarvaris Jackson.

Dolphins sign David Garrard
Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 4:08pm

Quarterback David Garrard’s NFL career appeared to be going south after being released by Jacksonville before the 2011 regular season and undergoing back surgery while missing the entire season.

As it turns out, Garrard’s career did head south — to the Dolphins, who signed him to a one-year deal Monday night. Garrard, who started in Jacksonville for four seasons, will go into training camp with a chance to beat out Matt Moore to be the Dolphins’ No. 1 quarterback.

"At least he’s in a position to compete for a starting job," said Al Irby, Garrard’s agent. "I think Miami got themselves a great quarterback."

Seahawks sign Matt Flynn to three-year deal worth as much as $26M
Sunday, March 18, 2012, 9:48pm

Matt Flynn has agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a contract worth up to $26M with $10M guaranteed.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 2:29pm

Packers free agent QB Matt Flynn is scheduled to visit Seattle on Thursday night, into Friday.

Packers may franchise QB Matt Flynn
Friday, February 24, 2012, 6:58pm

With Jermichael Finley locked up for the next two years, the question now is whether the Green Bay Packers will designate Matt Flynn as their franchise player.

The Packers opened the option to tag and trade Flynn rather than let the backup quarterback leave the team in free agency when they reached agreement on a two-year, $14 million contract with tight end Jermichael Finley on Wednesday.

But if General Manager Ted Thompson tags Flynn, he’ll have to take on the risk that if Flynn doesn’t work out a contract with a new team, the Packers will be stuck paying him the $14.4 million franchise tender. Tagging Flynn also would mean bucking the NFL, which discourages using the tag as only a vehicle for a trade.

Still, the tag is looking like a real possibility. A front-office executive for an NFL team said the league doesn’t discourage tag-and-trade strongly enough to prevent the Packers from doing it with Flynn if they think it’s their best move. Another NFL scout said he thinks some team will trade a decent draft pick and pay Flynn a good enough contract to swing the deal, even though the quarterback has started only two NFL games.

“I definitely think he’s going to get paid; he’s going to get paid like a franchise guy,” the scout said. “He’s had two really good bodies of work (i.e., games) when he’s been called on, against good teams.”

The Packers have until March 5 to decide whether to designate Flynn their franchise player, and Thompson and his top scouts no doubt are talking with teams at the NFL scouting combine this week to gauge interest. Among the most obvious teams looking for a starting quarterback are Miami, Seattle, Washington, Arizona and Cleveland. Other teams that can’t be ruled out are San Francisco, Denver and the New York Jets, who might be looking for competition for their starting quarterbacks, though they also might be less inclined to invest big money for that competition.

Thursday, January 26, 2012, 3:30pm

A Dolphins team source e-mailed me this afternoon that the priority is Peyton Manning. This coincides with news out of Mobile, Ala., where the Senior Bowl is going to be played Saturday. A league source there tells The Herald's Barry Jackson that the Dolphins have shown no interest in Flynn as of yet -- not even informal interest.

Now, teams are not allowed to show formal interest in soon-to-be free agents at this time. But at those Senior Bowl practices, where agents and team personnel departments mingle on the sideline, it's common for preliminary signs of future interest to be displayed. In fact, it's almost expected.

The Dolphins have shown no such interest in Matt Flynn.

That combined with the e-mail tells me the Dolphins will wait until there is a clear course of action on Manning -- when they know if he's going to be in Indy or on the market, when they know his health - before they decide what other direction to take.

The Dolphins hire Packers OC Joe Philbin as new head coach
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 12:09am

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will become the 10th head coach in Miami Dolphins history, sources told The Miami Herald.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross decided Philbin, who has no head coaching experience, will be hired after he impressed the owner during two interviews, including a second one Wednesday in New York.

Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles were the other finalists for the job.

The Dolphins would like to keep Bowles as defensive coordinator, and Philbin was reportedly receptive, according to the NFL Network. But source close to Bowles says he has not been approached by the Dolphins about that.

The Packers’ offensive coordinator since 2007, Philbin didn’t call the plays — coach Mike McCarthy handles that — but he crafted the game plan.

“He does a ton,” Packers receiver Greg Jennings said. “He runs all the walk-throughs, the meetings. He’s comfortable being in front of the team. He’s definitely fully capable of being a head coach.”

Friday, January 20, 2012, 6:16pm

Packers GM Ted Thompson has several tough personnel decisions to make. Veteran LT Chad Clifton and WR Donald Driver both have a year left on their contracts, but capable -- and perhaps more effective -- youngsters are already waiting in the wings. FS Nick Collins suffered an early season neck injury, and his loss was a major blow to the defense. He plans to tell the team prior to the draft if he'll be able to continue his career. TE Jermichael Finley and C Scott Wells can both be free agents and would seem like top priorities for retention, though backup QB Matt Flynn is likely headed for a lucrative career as a starter in another city.

The running game ranked 27th (97.4 ypg) and rarely provided explosive plays. RB Ryan Grant is another of the team's free agents, however Alex Green could get a longer look in 2012 after a torn ACL scuttled his rookie year. The free agent market at the position could be bountiful, but Thompson rarely wades into those waters. Still, the record-setting Saints offense provides a prime example of what a more-balanced approach might do for QB Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Friday, January 20, 2012, 5:29pm

I know this for sure -- on the night home from Philadelphia a little over two weeks ago - Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan and his father, Mike, had a detailed conversation over Matt Flynn's performance against the Lions.

They were very impressed and pleased to see the results, despite not being able to witness the work. I am told that they have had other conversations about Flynn, and it would appear based on a few sources inside the organization that the Redskins are 'very interested' as one source described to me.

Of course, we shall see when 'rubber meets the road' and it comes down to contract time. I think the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and a few other teams could be in the mix.

Our ESPN 980 Front Office NFL Insider, J.I. Halsell expects a very modest contract for a potential NFL starter, because simply -- teams do not know how good Flynn will be as a starter, with limited experience.