Nov 25, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb (14) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve harped on Christian Ponder enough that the time has come to turn the page on other possibilities. If you’re still supporting him at this point then you’re in the minority. And I know there’s those that argue for a better supporting cast, however there comes a time in football where it’s up to the quarterback to be the best player on the field and win the game for his team. A Brett Favre type moment where he throws an end zone rope to a journeyman to the back of the end zone to a journeyman named Greg Lewis to stun San Francisco. We haven’t seen anything even close to that out of Ponder to know that he’s the guy for the foreseeable future.
Most Vikings fans wouldn’t have a problem with Ponder being back in 2013 on the roster, however the crying tone now is that this team has such a special talent in Adrian Peterson who deserves another shot at a ring with Ponder not being the answer at quarterback. They’d yelp out that it’d be irresponsible to enter next season with Ponder, Joe Webb and McLeod Bethel-Thompson at the game’s most important position.
Unfortunately for the Vikings (or any other team in the market for a quarterback) there isn’t an Andrew Luck or a Robert Griffin III in the draft or some guy named Peyton Manning who needs a new team. The one name that could make sense in Minnesota however is Matt Flynn of the Seattle Seahawks, whom is likely to be sent out of town with Russell Wilson having them at 7-5 in the playoff mix.
Trading Joe Webb to Seattle makes sense given he’s not being used at all in Minnesota. For one, he is familiar with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell having played for him with the Vikings in 2010 and could easily slide into a backup role behind Wilson. Secondly, Webb has a manageable contract being only due $575,000 next year. And lastly, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a fetish for players who offer versatility and do things in an unconventional way. Ross Tucker of ESPN tweeted today – “Love how unconventional the Seahawks are. 340lb DE? Gigantic corners? 5’10” Rookie QB? No one else does that.”
Flynn on the other hand at the very minimum would give the Vikings a veteran presence capable of pushing Ponder or claiming the job entirely. The book on him is that he doesn’t have the strongest of arms, but is very accurate and brings a calming demeanor to the huddle. Plus with the exception of this year in Seattle, Flynn has been a winner. He won a title LSU, threw for 480 yards and 6 TDs in relief versus Detroit and even Aaron Rodgers said this past offseason he’s a top fifteen quarterback in the league. The other major reason why Seattle will want to trade Flynn is he’s due $5.25 million next season with the Vikings being under the cap making that salary a lot more manageable.
Will this trade happen? Probably not because it makes too much sense. But do expect Flynn to be traded somewhere this offseason given the need for quarterbacks. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King and NFL Network’s Albert Breer did just tweet that Seattle will take a $6 million cap hit if Flynn is cut rather than traded. And of course, it’s never too early to speculate.
Jon Merckle may be followed on Twitter @thevikingpig