Matt Flynn Rumors: Conflicting Reports About Browns' Interest in Flynn

Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert spoke to reporters Thursday about the team's offseason plans.

While the media at the press conference seemingly came away with a universal interpretation of Heckert's intentions regarding the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, impressions are all over the map when it comes to the Browns' interest (or lack thereof) in Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who will become a free agent on March 13.

Heckert doesn't have a reputation as being the type to shell out big money in free agency, but the Browns are in a fairly favorable situation in regards to the salary cap in 2012.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Heckert doesn't intend to change his philosophy in 2012, and the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram states that Heckert made it clear that Cleveland will not be one of the horde of team's pursuing Manning over the weekend. Heckert said the following: 

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You guys know how I feel about free agency, I think everybody else is on board with it. We're not going to go crazy in free agency. We're not going to do it.

(Manning’s) obviously a great player and all that, but just…where we’re at and where he’s at, We have not talked to him or anything. That’s probably not a direction we’re going in.

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The Chronicle-Telegram's Scott Petrak believes that Heckert's statements also make it very unlikely that the Browns will make a serious play for Flynn, and the Akron Beacon's Journal's Nate Ulrich agrees that Heckert's first public statements since recently undergoing heart surgery take Cleveland out of the running for Flynn's services.

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Heckert reiterated a key point he made in his previous meeting with reporters: It’s doubtful the Browns will acquire a big-name, free-agent quarterback. That means Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn, who’s scheduled to hit the open market when free agency begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, probably won’t land in Cleveland.

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However, as the Canton Repository's Steve Doerschuk points out, Heckert was somewhat evasive when asked about Flynn specifically, and Doerschuk interprets that evasiveness as an indication that the Browns are indeed interested in him and could be the front-runner to obtain the fifth-year pro's services.

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The gates are wide open to signing Matt Flynn next week. When asked whether Flynn will be in Ohio for a visit after the market opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Heckert hesitated and said, “Ummmmmmm.” It was the proverbial pregnant ummmmmmm.

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Doerschuk isn't alone in his assessment of what Heckert said (or didn't say), as Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports not only concurs that Heckert's non-answer indicates that Cleveland is interested in Flynn, but he also believes that it's in the team's best interests to procure the 26-year-old quarterback.

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That's a lot to glean from one long syllable, but Flynn makes a ton of sense. He's not a physical specimen, nor does he possess a particularly strong arm. But in the right system, his smarts and accuracy are assets, [and] Flynn will be cheaper than what it will cost the Browns to trade up from No. 4 to No. 2 to take Robert Griffin III.

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If this is a disinformation campaign being waged by the Cleveland front office in an effort to cloud their intentions regarding free agency and Matt Flynn in particular, then it may be the most brilliant one waged in the history of the National Football League. It has the media talking in circles, and the only thing that's clear regarding the Cleveland Browns' potential pursuit of Matt Flynn it's that nothing is.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to sit down. This whole thing is making me dizzy.

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