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Oakland Raiders release quarterback Matt Flynn

The Oakland Raiders released backup quarterback Matt Flynn on Monday. We talk about why he's not coming to Cincinnati and why no other free agent quarterback will.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Matt Flynn hates Big Ten quarterbacks.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt Flynn went from a coveted backup quarterback -- that proved nothing but became a mainstream (read: ESPN) all-star -- to former starting quarterback that was dropped to third on a depth chart behind former Big Ten quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin. In fairness, Prior was the starter and the proud Buckeyes patrolling these pages are happy for him right now, no doubt. But McGloin? Yikes.

Flynn, on the other hand, stood on the promise of something greater as a backup in Green Bay playing 34 games in four seasons (only two starts), completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,329 yards, ten touchdowns and six picks. Not bad. But everyone bought the hype with the limited sample size of games played during mop-up duty.

Seattle signed Flynn to a three-year deal worth $19.5 million with $10 million guaranteed as a free agent in March '12. In April, the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round; a former Wisconsin quarterback. Toast.

General Manager Reggie McKenzie, a former staffer with the Green Bay Packers, sent Seattle Oakland's fifth-round pick and signed Flynn to a two-year deal worth $11.5 million and $6.5 million guaranteed. Flynn lost the competing starting quarterback job to Pryor during a preseason competition that included fourth-round quarterback Tyler Wilson (currently on the practice squad).

When Pryor suffered his concussion in week three against the Denver Broncos, Flynn was given the start against the Washington Redskins the following week. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 227 yards passing, throwing a touchdown that was neutralized with a pick-six. Head coach Dennis Allen called Flynn the deciding factor in Oakland's 24-14 loss to the Redskins. We're not necessarily saying that Allen threw Flynn under the bus. Only that he tied him to the pavement and then drove the bus.

According to Jim Trotter with Sports Illustrated, Flynn was released on Monday.

Now here's the part that you love, from me, the Dreamcrusher (a Kirsti Lee reference for you Bob and Tom fans).

As long as you read most of the itinerary of a traveling backup quarterback from above, you realize that he's not coming to Cincinnati. As Josh Freeman wasn't, prior to his one-year deal to complicate Minnesota's quarterback situation entirely.

In fact, there's only one reason at this point that Cincinnati would entertain the notion for signing a quarterback: Eligibility for the practice squad. And that job was handed to former Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, not that you totally forgot about that. Cincinnati won't sign a free agent quarterback to challenge Dalton -- there are none out there that could out-perform him anyway (they're free agents for a reason). So cross off the "jump start Dalton" scenario.

Maybe, and there is a zero-point-five percent chance of accepting this argument, Cincinnati brings in someone to rival Josh Johnson. He's a Jay Gruden guy and there is something to having a quarterback with a change-of-pace ability if the team decided to use that (which they won't). Anyway, why would they have three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster just to have competing arms at the backup position. That zero-point-five percent just went up in Cheech's smoke.

Long story short, move along.