Matt Flynn: Why He Is Just What the Washington Redskins Need

The Washington Redskins need a quarterback for next season, and they should look no further than current Aaron Rodgers backup and former LSU Tiger Matt Flynn.

The Redskins had one of the NFL's most exciting quarterback competitions in the 2011 preseason. The problem was, the face-off was between Rex Grossman and John Beck, neither of whom should be starting in the NFL.

Beck threw four interceptions with just two touchdowns in the four games he played in for the Redskins this season. In those four games, the highest passer rating he posted was an 80.8.

Meanwhile, Rex Grossman had 20 picks on the year while only throwing 16 touchdowns. He's thrown at least one interception in each of his last 12 starts, which is somewhat hard to do when you consider how bad the hands of the average defender are.

The only time Grossman posted a passer rating above 100 all year was in the season opener against the New York Giants. Which means that the Redskins haven't had a quarterback with a passer rating above 100 since Week 1. Few teams in the NFL can say that.

There is no doubt that Washington needs a new quarterback, and they need him right now. The bright side for a Redskins fan is that they a lot of other pieces in place.

The defense has one of the best linebacker units in the country with Pro Bowlers Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher and rookie stud Ryan Kerrigan. The secondary is boosted by Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry.

On the offensive side, the Redskins could use a premier running back as well, but the offensive line was a strength and Santana Moss can still play.

The Redskins weren't that far from being contenders this season. They finished the year with a paltry five wins, but they started out 3-1. They were within one score in five of their losses.

They blew a lead and lost to the Dallas Cowboys by two in Jerryworld, then lost to Tony Romo and company a second time at home in overtime.

Washington lost to the New England Patriots by seven after a potentially game-tying touchdown from Santana Moss was overturned by an offensive pass interference call. They blew a fourth-quarter lead against the New York Jets, and only lost to the Minnesota Vikings by a touchdown.

Even with a dearth of talent at quarterback, the Redskins were very competitive in most of their games this season.

Who knows how much better they could be if they got a solid player under center. Most people think that the Redskins should go to the 2012 NFL Draft to get this last and most important piece in place.

But (especially with Matt Barkley returning to the USC Trojans) I think the Redskins would be better off to pickup a free agent.

The last four quarterbacks Washington have drafted (dating back to 2003) are Colt Brennan, Jordan Palmer, Jason Campbell, and Gibran Hamdan. Three of them are no longer even playing in the NFL, while their 2005 first-round pick Campbell never panned out. In four years as the starter he only took the Redskins to a winning season and playoff appearance one time. He has been gone for two years and is currently with the Oakland Raiders.

Drafting a quarterback is hard, as you never know if a player can make it at the next level (see Ryan Leaf). And the Redskins have proven that they are less than adept at picking players to be their next quarterback from the NFL Draft pool.

Thus, they must pick up a free agent. And with this year's weak free agent quarterback class (they certainly don't want Kyle Orton, Dennis Dixon, or Chase Daniel and Drew Brees and Alex Smith will almost certainly be resigned), their only viable choice is Matt Flynn.

Matt Flynn has only started two games in his career with the Green Bay Packers, but both times he was phenomenal. Against the New England Patriots last year (the No. 1 seed in the AFC), he completed 24-37 passes for 251 yards. He threw for three touchdowns with only one interception.

And as we all remember, he did his best Aaron Rodgers-impression in the Packers' season finale two weeks ago, completing 70% of his 44 passes for 480 yards and six touchdowns with only one pick. Not bad for a guy who spent most of the year on the bench and practicing with the second team.

In both of those games, Flynn was in a high-pressure situation against a playoff opponent. Last year in a primetime Sunday night game, he was facing a Patriots team that was still fighting for seeding in the AFC while his Packers were in danger of missing the postseason if they lost.

And this year he was facing a Detroit Lions team that was trying desperately to get the No. 5 seed (and avoid playing the New Orleans Saints). Flynn was also facing great pressure, as he and everyone else knew this was his big audition for a starting job in the NFL.

Flynn was tested twice and both times he passed with flying colors. There are certainly players in the 2012 NFL Draft like Robert Griffin III who are very appealing and look like future Pro Bowlers.

But the Redskins cannot pass on a player like Matt Flynn who has already proven that he can play at this level, especially with how poorly Washington has done with drafting quarterbacks in recent history.

Flynn has had the benefit of playing behind the best quarterback in the NFL for the past three years, that experience has to carry some weight. And in his few chances, he has played very well.

He will be the next great Washington Redskins quarterback, and revive that sleeping giant of a franchise from the slump it's been in the last two decades.

That is, if the Redskins are smart enough to go out and get him.