It’s no secret that the Seahawks are in the market for a quarterback. Even if you are the most ardent Tarvaris Jackson supporter (those are out there somewhere, right?) that doesn’t change the fact that Seattle needs depth at the position, if nothing else. Jackson is under contract for another year, and the Seahawks also have Josh Portis, who they signed as an undrafted rookie last year, but that’s it.
With free agency underway, the Seahawks, as expected, are taking a look at their options. Seattle has by all accounts been out of the Peyton Manning sweepstakes for a few days now, but the Seahawks are scheduled to host a visit by former Green Bay backup Matt Flynn this week, according to a league source.
Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne was scheduled to visit the Seahawks Wednesday night, but signed a two-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Flynn has shown promise in limited playing time in Green Bay. While unproven, there is still a chance of Flynn developing into a star quarterback.
The thought heading into the offseason was that Flynn was going to be a hot commodity who would attract a number of suitors and a big contract, much like Kevin Kolb did last year when he was traded from Philadelphia to Arizona, then signed to a big multi-year deal. And while Flynn may indeed still land a big deal, it’s beginning to look like the market for him is a little less heated than it initially figured to be. Miami is believed to still be interested, but the Dolphins are also still chasing Manning. Cleveland, meanwhile, was said to be interested in Flynn, but reports this morning were that the Browns weren’t pursuing him.
Washington, another possible Flynn suitor heading into the offseason, traded to get the No. 2 pick and will take Robert Griffin III. So if, for example, the Dolphins land Manning, who then is competing with Seattle for Flynn? Maybe the Browns are interested and their denial of interest was a smokescreen, or there could certainly be other teams who like Flynn as well. But what is looking more and more likely is that Flynn won’t get the massive deal many were expecting a few months ago. That could be good news for Seattle, because it’s one thing to bring in an unproven former backup and see if he can be your starter; it’s entirely different to give him something along the lines of $20 million in guaranteed money, making you dependent on him becoming a franchise quarterback.
Former Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson visited the Seahawks on Wednesday, and the Seahawks released left guard Robert Gallery. According to media reports, the Seahawks re-signed backup offensive lineman Paul McQuistan on Wednesday night.
And according to the NFL Network’s Steve Wyche,the Seahawks will host tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for a free agent visit “within the next few days.”
Shiancoe knows Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell well from their time together in Minnesota.
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