Anyone and everyone writing today about the Green Bay Packers prolific offensive display against the Detroit Lions is writing about Matt Flynn. Specifically, they are noting how much money he likely made himself by throwing for a team record 480 passing yards and six touchdowns. That said, Flynn had already made his money when a certain college quarterback decided not to enter the NFL Draft.
When Matt Barkley made his press conference announcement that he would be returning for his final year at USC surrounded by the marching band and all, Flynn immediately became the third best option for a team searching for a quarterback. Barkley was currently in that role, usurped for No. 2 by the surge of Robert Griffin III’s stock. But as much as teams are willing to pay for a quarterback (and as much as they need one), Flynn already had his suitors lining up whether or not he blew away the Lions, which certainly doesn’t hurt.
The Indianapolis Colts have the first overall selection and they will take Andrew Luck. The Rams and Vikings come next and they already have Sam Bradford and Christian Ponder in house from the draft over the last two years. Now there are cases to be made for selecting RG3 over both of those guys, but that’s not likely to happen and the Browns are on the clock at No. 4. That makes them the likely home of Griffin unless someone trades up.
In short, any franchise stuck outside of the top four choices in the draft must consider a veteran like Matt Flynn who has been stuck behind Aaron Rodgers. Or they might think about a guy like Landry Jones, if he comes out for the draft. There’s simply no one else to consider in terms of a rookie. Flynn, then, becomes the third best option and likely over Landry Jones no matter what the OU quarterback decides.
While Flynn might have added some additional bonus footage for anyone interested in his services on Sunday, the reality is that Flynn was already in the mix for teams like the Washington Redskins or Miami Dolphins or even Kansas City Chiefs depending on what they do with Matt Cassel. And he can thank Matt Barkley for going back to USC for his current position.