Dennis Allen was asked during a Monday conference call if the trade for quarterback Matt Flynn made the Oakland Raiders a better team.
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"Absolutely," the coach replied.
If you're hungry for conflict, feel free to read into it as a dig at Carson Palmer. But this really is about Flynn, a 27-year-old quarterback who appears -- at long last -- to be on a clear path for a starting gig in the NFL.
According to Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group, Allen compared Flynn's situation to the early careers of Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers, two quarterbacks who waited on the sidelines before getting their chance as a starter.
In other words, Flynn has done his time. Now it is his time.
"When you look at Matt, he's one of those guys that even though he hasn't had a lot of opportunities, when he's had those opportunities, he's made the most out of those chances," Allen said, via SilverandBlackPride.com. "We feel real good about that and feel real good about getting a young prospect at quarterback."
This is a far different situation for Flynn, who got paid by the Seattle Seahawks but never received the benefit of the doubt. Everyone assumed Pete Carroll simply was paying lip service when he said Flynn would have to compete with Tarvaris Jackson and Russell Wilson for the starting job. As it turned out, Carroll was being honest.
Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor won't be the new Russell Wilson. Allen spoke of "competition" and Pryor perhaps having a specific package in the offense. But make no mistake, this is Flynn's job to lose.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
