Joe Philbin's Hire in Miami Could Impact Seattle Seahawks' Quarterback Search

The Miami Dolphins have signed former Green Bay Packer offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to take over as head coach. This move could have a profound impact on the 2012 draft and free-agent quarterback market.

Despite starting in just two NFL games, Matt Flynn is expected to be the most sought after commodity on the free-agent market. He had the luxury of spending four years in the Packer system learning from Philbin and his staff—not to mention spending that time watching what could be the league's best passer.

I've been predicting he would follow John Schneider from Green Bay to Seattle since the 2010 NFL draft. Schneider was instrumental in drafting Flynn, and he is familiar with what he offers as an NFL quarterback.

There were rumors that Seattle attempted to trade for Flynn last offseason, but the Packers were not interested in parting with Aaron Rodgers' backup. This left the Seahawks as a prime player for his services in free agency.

Philbin's move to Miami may have thrown a huge wrench into the works.

Miami will be an attractive option for Flynn from an offensive perspective. They offer Brandon Marshall as an elite target and Reggie Bush is a great weapon and safety valve in the backfield.

The Dolphins will likely look to add another tight end to work work Anthony Fassano, and they will be in a position to add another talented wide receiver in free agency or the draft. 

Miami's defense isn't as strong as it was even during the 2010 season. However, coming from a team that wins based on offense, that might not be a deterrent for Flynn.

The comfort of moving to an offense similar to what he worked under in Green Bay could be enough to sway his decision.

With the Seahawks quite possibly on the outside looking in on Flynn, their attention will turn in a different direction.

The 2012 draft has lost several of the most promising faces: Matt Barkley and Landry Jones have opted to return to college for their final year of eligibility. This leaves Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III as the two quarterbacks ready to lead an NFL offense in 2012.

The Indianapolis Colts don't appear interested in giving up their replacement for Peyton Manning.

This leaves the wide receiver-needy St. Louis Rams sitting in the second spot. They have the luxury of trading down a few slots and still getting Alshon Jeffery or Justin Blackmon, which makes a trade likely.

The Washington Redskins are in dire need of a quarterback. Sitting at Pick Six, they are a likely trading partner with St. Louis to get Griffin.

It is doubtful the division-rival Seahawks and Rams will be making a major trade. This will likely leave the Seahawks out of the running for Griffin and looking at prospects in later rounds. It also leaves them looking to a free agent signed to compete with Jackson for the starting position in 2012.

If Flynn potentially signs with the Dolphins, there is another solid option on the free-agent market. He would also come much cheaper than Flynn, leaving cap dollars to invest in a pass-rusher, linebacker and another offensive weapon or two.

Offensive line coach Tom Cable was the head coach for the Oakland Raiders when Jason Campbell was acquired. The two weren't always on the same page, though, as competition with Bruce Gradkowski left Campbell in a state of flux as a starter.

Campbell might be reluctant to enter another situation where he'd have to compete for a starting job, but he likely has no other options. There isn't a franchise that will just turn over the starting role to him in 2012.

Even worse, there are very few teams that will have open competition for the starting position next season, and it could be just the two "Washington" teams. Given Campbell's history with the Redskins, Seattle could be Campbell's only option for earning a starting job.

Darrell Bevell's offense should be a good fit for Campbell. It puts a premium on mobility and moving the pocket, while asking the quarterback to blend deep passes and intermediate routes that keep the ground game open.

Campbell has a strong arm, but he has lacked the receiving targets to allow him to open up his game. With Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, Deon Butler, Kris Durham and Ricardo Lockette, speedy receivers that can go up and catch a ball won't be an issue.

Campbell would also be reunited with Zach Miller, and the resurgent ground game would put him in a position to keep the offense moving.

Fans aren't likely to get excited over the addition of Jason Campbell, but he is a solid quarterback that could help the Seahawks win while they attempt to draft their franchise quarterback in 2012 or 2013.

His 2009 season showed what he is capable of accomplishing. He completed almost 65 percent of his passes and threw 20 touchdowns. He did have 15 interceptions, which is a bit high for a Pete Carroll team.

Still, he posted a passer rating of 86.4 with 226 yards per game. His stats were all right in the middle of the pack for starting quarterbacks in 2009.

His 2011 season was on pace to hit 3,500 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs and a passer rating of 85. All of those would, again, place him around 15th among NFL passers.

Average certainly isn't the goal for an NFL quarterback, but it would be a welcomed change in Seattle while the front office attempts to draft their quarterback of the future.

It looks like 2012 is the right time for the Seahawks to gamble on Campbell.

Jason Campbell career stats (2006-09 with Washington, '10-11 with Oakland):

	GP	CMP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	QBR
‘06	7	110	207	1,297	6.27	10	6	76.5
‘07	13	250	417	2,700	6.48	12	11	77.6
‘08	16	315	506	3,245	6.41	13	6	84.3
‘09	16	327	507	3,618	7.14	20	15	86.4
‘10	13	194	329	2,387	7.26	13	8	84.5
‘11	6	100	165	1,170	7.09	6	4	84.2
	71	1,296	2,131	14,417	6.77	74	50	82.8