A hypothetical Matt Flynn-to-Raiders trade

By Brady Henderson

Update, 11:57 a.m.: ESPN’s Ed Werder reports via Twitter that the Seahawks are engaged in trade talks with an unknown team and a deal involving Matt Flynn “appears imminent”.

A possible Matt Flynn trade dominated the discussion when John Clayton, Jim Moore, Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton got together for another edition of “Cold Hard Facts” on Thursday.

A day earlier, Clayton had been skeptical of reports that the trade market for the Seahawks’ backup quarterback was heating up, though he conceded that a deal with the Raiders would make sense if Oakland parts ways with starter Carson Palmer.

On Thursday, the conversation centered around a hypothetical trade with the Raiders.

The Seahawks would save $3.25 million in cap space by trading Matt Flynn. (AP)

The scenario: The previous regime’s trades for Palmer and Aaron Curry left the Raiders with seven picks this year, none in the second or fifth rounds. Because of that, Clayton says, they’d prefer to not suffer a net loss in 2013 picks with any trades they might make. With that in mind, Clayton likes the idea of swapping third-round picks and giving Seattle a conditional pick in 2014 in exchange for Flynn.

Oakland owns the 66th overall selection, while Seattle has pick No. 87. The difference in those selections, according to the draft-pick value chart, is equivalent to an early fourth-round pick. Clayton thinks that and a 2014 conditional pick — a fifth that could upgrade to a fourth — would be enough for Seattle to part with Flynn.

Any trade with Oakland would only happen if the Raiders can’t renegotiate Palmer’s salary and decide to release him. That seems like a likely outcome based on the stance both sides are reportedly taking.

“Their priority is to try to work out a deal with Carson Palmer. They will not, under any circumstance, keep him on the roster at his current salary of $13 million, and he says he’s not taking a pay cut,” Clayton said.

What the Seahawks would save. The Seahawks would realize a cap savings of $3.25 million by trading Flynn (his 2013 cap number is $7.25 million, but Seattle would be on the hook for the remaining $4 million of signing-bonus proration).

The Seahawks could carry that money into next year or use it toward an extension for one of their young players they’ve been working on re-signing. Safety Kam Chancellor is one of those players. He’s entering the final year of his contract.

“You may not be able to do a Kam Chancellor deal if you don’t get this deal done with Flynn,” Clayton said.

Jags out? A report from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com earlier this week named the Jaguars as the most likely team to trade for Flynn. According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville “explored the possibility” but has decided to not make a run at Flynn.