The Green Bay Packers on Wednesday night locked down tight end Jermichael Finley to a two-year contract reportedly worth $15 million. Finley was scheduled to be a free agent and it was assumed that Green Bay would use the franchise tag on him to avoid letting him get away.
Now that they've worked out a deal with Finley, the franchise tag is available, which makes you wonder about Packers quarterback Matt Flynn.
The Packers' quarterback was expected to hit the open market because the team was likely to use the franchise tag on Finley but now that it's available again, you have to wonder if the Packers are thinking about a sign-and-trade situation similar to the one the Patriots did a few years back with Matt Cassel.
Back then, Cassel had taken over for Tom Brady for a season and performed well, which shot his value through the roof. The Patriots franchise tagged Cassel -- with Brady in New England they had no intention of bringing him back -- and then traded him to the Chiefs for a second round pick.
Similar situation in Green Bay except Flynn has significantly less experience. Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay so, obviously, there's no future for Flynn there. Everyone knows he's gone one way or another. If you're the Packers, you have to be thinking about a situation like that.
Would Joe Philbin, the Packers former offensive coordinator and the current Dolphins head coach, consider giving up a draft pick for Flynn, someone he knows? Would Mike Shanahan give up a draft pick for Matt Flynn? There has to be a market for Flynn if the Packers are trading him. I think there will be -- quarterbacks are always in demand by someone, somewhere -- but it's a big risk taking on the franchise tag number for quarterbacks, which is over $14 million.
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