Can Seattle contend with Flynn?

Even though the Seattle Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and have Tarvaris Jackson on the roster, it appears that free-agent acquisition Matt Flynn will be the Week 1 starter. Flynn has played well in his brief starting tenure for the Green Bay Packers, but how does he fit in Seattle's offense? And with a strong defense, how far can the Seahawks go this season?

The Seahawks gave Flynn a fair amount of money as a free-agent quarterback, and his responsibilities in Seattle will be far different than what Green Bay asks of Aaron Rodgers. This is a good thing, though, as Flynn doesn't compare to Rodgers in terms of his ability to throw the football and the Seahawks' offensive supporting cast doesn't resemble the one in Green Bay.

Flynn is a very average passer who relies on timing and accuracy rather than the ability to thread the needle or to torture opposing defenses outside the numbers. He is the type of thrower who will always have to be managed, but Flynn does get the ball out quickly, has a good mind for the game and is accurate, often hitting his receivers in stride. I'm not a huge believer in Flynn's possible development into a top-10 NFL quarterback, but I do think his ability to consistently move the chains and protect the football endears him best to the Seahawks' present team philosophy, which is to play small ball. And that's a strategy that could pay off for them by the end of the season.

To read more about how far the Seattle Seahawks can go in 2012, plus to gain access to all of Insider's NFL content, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Matt Williamson

ESPN.com

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• Joined ESPN in 2005
• Was an NFL and college scout for the Cleveland Browns