Fantasy Football: Matt Flynn's Impact with Seattle Seahawks

For all we know, Matt Flynn could end up as the next Rich Campbell, Randy Wright, Anthony Dilweg, Jay Barker, Ingle Martin, Craig Nall or Brian Brohm—Packers draftees from the last 31 years who never evolved into established NFL starting quarterbacks.

Or he could become the next Mark Brunell or Matt Hasselbeck or Kurt Warner—one-time backup quarterbacks to Brett Favre in Green Bay who found varying levels of success, fame and fortune in other markets.

If you think I'm stalling on a fantasy forecast with Flynn, who surprised many by agreeing to a three-year deal with the Seahawks—nixing the Dolphins—there's good reason. 

Anyone who loudly proclaims that Flynn (132 career passes, nine TDs) will be an absolute gem in Seattle or a hopeless flame-out is simply throwing darts at a board.

Yes, Flynn set the Packers' mark for TD passes in a single game (six) last year, oddly throwing some water on Aaron Rodgers' seemingly unimpeachable campaign for NFL MVP. But how does Flynn project as a full-time starter without pass-catching dynamos Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones or Jermichael Finley as targets and with newfound pressures to carry a franchise that's pining for another Hasselbeck (174 TDs, one Super Bowl berth from 2001-10)?

That thought brings me to this: Seattle certainly has no fear when it comes to raiding other teams' backup quarterbacks, from Charlie Whitehurst to Tarvaris Jackson and now Flynn.

For that, the franchise should be commended for making a cottage industry out of lobbing high-money, short-term contracts at enticing QB prospects, hoping they'll stick for the long term while investing high picks on building-block O-linemen like tackles Russell Okung and James Carpenter (and maybe Stanford guard David DeCastro with the No. 12 pick in April's draft).

It's a strategy that could provide Flynn with more essential time to find Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, Ben Obomanu, Mike Williams or tight end Zach Miller downfield, while changing the collective perception of a few untested or vagabond pass-catchers.

In 2011, Tarvaris Jackson threw the ball 30 or more times in nine Seahawks games—an impressive total considering RB Marshawn Lynch (1,416 total yards, 13 TDs last season) scored at least one touchdown in 11 straight active games (Weeks 4-15).

If head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell had that much confidence in T-Jax, just imagine the hubris they'll have when calling plays for a 67-percent passer against the Rams, Lions, Bears, Vikings, Patriots, Panthers, Bills, Cowboys and, yes, Packers in 2012.

Flynn projections: 3,539 yards passing, 24 TDs

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.