Raiders acquire Flynn
The Oakland Raiders acquired Seattle backup Matt Flynn on Monday for draft picks, signaling an end to Carson Palmer’s brief tenure as starter in Oakland. Fox Sports reported Palmer was expected to be dealt to Arizona. The Raiders paid a hefty price when they acquired Palmer from Cincinnati midway through the 2011 season, trading a 2012 first-round draft pick and 2013 second-rounder for the former Pro Bowler. They now will move on from Palmer before they have even finished paying up on the trade. Oakland will send a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a conditional pick in 2015 to Seattle for Flynn. The Raiders also will receive a late-round pick from Arizona if the deal for Palmer is completed. Palmer failed to get Oakland to the playoffs in 2011, falling one game short, then the Raiders regressed and went 4-12 this past year. With Palmer owed $13 million for this season and the Raiders in rebuilding mode, General Manager Reggie McKenzie decided to get a quarterback he was familiar with from his time in Green Bay. Flynn signed a three-year, $26 million deal with the Seahawks last offseason. He has thrown 141 passes in his career, completing 87 for 1,083 yards for 9 touchdowns and throwing 5 interceptions.
The Arizona Cardinals have released quarterback John Skelton, who started 17 games for the team over the past three seasons. Skelton beat out Kevin Kolb for the starting job under then-Coach Ken Whisenhunt in training camp last season. He was hurt in the opener and Kolb took over. Skelton returned as starter when Kolb was injured, but lost the job due to poor performance. The Cardinals released Kolb earlier and he has agreed to a contract with Buffalo.
Jack Pardee, one of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s “Junction Boys” at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, has died, University of Houston spokesman David Bassity said. Pardee was 76. Bassity said Monday that Pardee’s son Ted confirmed the death to him. Pardee’s family announced that he had gall bladder cancer that had spread to other organs and that he had six to nine months to live in November. Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Colt McCoy, who became expendable when Cleveland signed veteran free agent quarterback Jason Campbell last week, was traded Monday to the San Francisco 49ers. The Browns said the Browns received two “undisclosed” draft choices, but a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press the Browns got a fifth- and seventh-round pick in this month’s NFL Draft in exchange for McCoy and Cleveland’s sixth-round pick. The person provided details of the trade on condition of anonymity. McCoy started 21 games in three seasons for the Browns and is 6-15 as a starter.
The Cincinnati Bengals have resigned cornerback Terence Newman to a two-year contract. Newman will enter his 11th NFL season and second with the Bengals. He played his first nine seasons with Dallas after being drafted in the first round in 2003. Last season, Newman led the Bengals in passes defensed with 14 and had two interceptions to raise his career total to 34.
The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms with free agent wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey has 140 receptions for 2,071 yards and 11 touchdowns since being selected by the Oakland Raiders with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft. In 2012, Heyward-Bey started 14 games and had 41 receptions for 606 yards and a career-high 5 touchdowns.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall is back with the Washington Redskins, agreeing to a more affordable oneyear contract after being cut for salary cap reasons three weeks ago. A person familiar with the deal said Monday night that Hall decided to return for approximately $2 million in 2013, a considerable drop-off from the $7.5 million in salary he would have made under his previous contract.