Seahawks general manager John Schneider held his press conference at the press conference in Indianapolis on Thursday (you can watch the whole video at Seahawks.com)
Among the highlights, Schneider talked about the possibility of trading quarterback Matt Flynn. Schneider said they’re in no hurry to move Flynn, but he acknowledged they will listen if teams are asking about Seattle’s backup quarterback.
“I think we have a great setup,” Schneider said. “I feel very blessed that we have two quarterbacks like this, two starting caliber guys. What happened last year wasn’t really a reflection on what Matt did, or Tarvaris (Jackson) for that matter. It was really what Russell did in terms of just stepping forward and taking charge. The way he performed in the preseason, it was really hard to argue. We just feel really blessed with our situation right now.
Schneider said with teams focused on the draft, he hasn’t had a chance to talk trades, but added, “But as you guys well know, we’re always going to listen to everything. If we’re not doing that, we’re not doing our job, but that doesn’t mean we necessarily will do anything with Matt.”
Schneider said Flynn’s contract (he’s due $5.25 million this year) wouldn’t prohibit Seattle from keeping him.
“We have different models set up with our cap,” he said. “Obviously we have a model that includes Matt; our primary model.”
Then again, if the Seahawks are determined to trade Flynn, it wouldn’t really help their cause if Schneider came out and made that known. Letting teams know that they are happy to keep Flynn could drive up the price if they do decide to shop him around at some point.
Schneider was, of course, also asked about his team’s starter, Russell Wilson, and had to admit that, as high as they were on Wilson last year, the Seahawks couldn’t have known just how good Wilson was going to be as a rookie
“We liked him a lot,” Schneider said. “For me to tell you that he was going to do what he did in his first year, I would be lying to you… To say that I thought he was going to do everything he did, I would be lying… I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”
On the process of evaluating talent, something the Seahawks have done quite well the past few years, Schneider said one of the keys is not assuming he and Pete Carroll have all the answers:
“We take a lot of pride in giving our scouts a lot of leeway in terms of their opinion on players… They know they’re going to be heard, and at the end of the day, we’re going to take all of the opinions and put them together.”
And finally, after Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis made news yesterday with their back-and-forth on Twitter, Schneider was asked about his team’s outspoken, All-Pro cornerback, and said he wasn’t concerned with Sherman having some fun on Twitter.
“We know Richard, to us it’s not really a big deal,” Schneider said. “It’s what makes him who he is, it’s one of the reasons we fell in love with him. It gives him the confidence to play the way he plays. He feels like he’s the best cornerback in the league, and God bless him.”
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