2012 NFL Free Agents: Why Seattle Seahawks Handled Flynn Signing Perfectly

After being shunned in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, Seattle had to act quickly to find an upgrade to the maddeningly inconsistent Tarvaris Jackson, and Flynn was the best man on the market. 

Flynn had some serious leverage in his favor; he knew Seattle was a bit desperate, and he had competition for his services with the Dolphins in the picture. 

But GM John Schneider did not panic and refused to give Flynn a Kevin Kolb-type deal that would have had the potential to set the franchise back five years if Flynn did not pan out. Schneider held his ground and watched as Flynn made his phony visit to the Dolphins in an effort to drive up the price. 

This is nothing but standard procedure in negotiations, as agents often tell their players to schedule as many visits as possible to create an illusion of a market to scare GMs into giving a player what he wants, in fear that he may leave for another team. A lot of the time it works against gullible franchises. 

Schneider's patience paid off, and he was able to get the prized free agent under contract at a reasonable price of $26 million for three years, including 10 million guaranteed. 

The key number is the guaranteed money, which is the only kind of money in the NFL. If Flynn stinks up the joint in his first year, Seattle could get rid of him without suffering a gigantic financial burden. Is 10 million a lot for one year? Yes, but it is not going hold the franchise hostage like the Kevin Kolb deal does. If Flynn sticks around for two years, cutting him for $5 million a year makes it even more digestible. 

Thanks to the excellent handling of the situation by the Seahawks brass, they can focus their draft attention to other more pressing needs.