Flynn and McCoy are Lastest Quarterbacks to be Traded

The Oakland Raiders traded for Matt Flynn (left) to compete with Terrelle Pryor (right) for their starting quarterback position. (Getty Images)

With the weakest draft class of quarterbacks in recent memory, many NFL teams are resorting to trading for options to compete with who they currently have. The Kansas City Chiefs were the first team to make a move. They acquired veteran Alex Smith from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2013 second-round draft pick and a 2014 conditional second-round draft pick. Today, two more quarterbacks were on their way to new homes due to accepted trades.

The Oakland Raiders acquired quarterback Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft and a conditional pick in 2015. Flynn has waited for a long time to be given the reigns of a team as a starting quarterback. He spent for years backing up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. The Seahawks signed Flynn prior to last season, but he got beat out by rookie sensation Russell Wilson.

The Raiders knew they needed to bring a new quarterback in once they found that veteran Carson Palmer wasn't the answer. He failed to get Oakland to the playoffs in 2011, falling one game short. Last season, the Raiders regressed and finished 4-12. 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 did shine in his limited playing experience with the Packers. For example, he was 31-for-44 for 480 yards and six touchdown passes in the Packers' 2010 season finale win over the Detroit Lions. The Raiders do also have Terrelle Pryor who got limited action late last season after Palmer got injured.

In last season's regular season finale, Pryor went 13-for-28 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-21 loss to the Chargers. He also ran for 49 yards and a touchdown. Pryor showed signs of being capable of effectively running a NFL offense. It appears to be a fairly open race to see whether Flynn or Pryor will emerge during this offseason as the Raiders' starting quarterback.

The Seahawks are of course set with Wilson as their starter. They also have Tyler Thigpen on their roster, who is expected to be Wilson's primary backup. Thigpen has substantial NFL experience, including playing in 14 games with the Chiefs in 2008. The Seahawks will need to add one more quarterback to their roster. Matt Leinart is a possibility to rejoin his collegiate coach Pete Carroll, who is now the head coach of the Seahawks.

The Cleveland Browns traded backup quarterback Colt McCoy to the 49ers. The Browns sent McCoy and a sixth-round pick (173rd overall) in exchange for the 49ers' picks in the fifth (164th overall) and seventh rounds (227th overall). This trade seems to be a win-win for both the Browns and their former starter.

During his three seasons with the Browns, McCoy went 6-15 as a starter. This really should have come as no surprise. McCoy was projected to be a solid backup quarterback, but not a consistent starter. Additionally, with a weaker arm strength, he didn't have a chance of succeeding in Cleveland weather. The Browns really made a mistake using a third-round pick on him in the first place.

McCoy now gets a refreshing new start with the 49ers. He goes from one of the worst teams in the NFL to a Super Bowl contender. McCoy will compete against Scott Tolzien to be the backup to starter Colin Kaepernick. I expect that McCoy will win the job and will be ready in case of injury to Kaepernick.

This gives the Browns more financial flexibility at the quarterback position. This means that the Browns will likely give last season's starter Brandon Weeden every chance to earn the starting job again. He will likely get the majority of the first-team snaps during the team’s offseason.The Browns did bring in veteran Jason Campbell to compete with Weeden, so that is something to keep an eye on.