Dominos fall quickly in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers were widely assumed to be using their franchise player tag on TE Jermichael Finley, and let in-demand backup quarterback Matt Flynn walk. Those circumstances changed dramatically when Ted Thompson came to a two-year agreement with Finley. Within minutes of the announcement of that news, Packers beat reporter Tom Silverstein turned the spotlight to Flynn.

@TomSilverstein: I anticipate the #Packers using the franchise tag on Flynn now. They'll take the $14 million cap hit and then deal him to somebody.

Parsing the rumors floating around online, that unnamed "somebody" essentially boils down to one of two teams - the Seattle Seahawks or the Miami Dolphins. Acquiring Flynn for a big-dollar contract based on his paper-thin body of work already seemed like a risky proposition. Sending high draft picks to Green Bay in the process makes the Kevin Kolb deal look positively sane by comparison.

(How goofy was that deal for Kolb? Arizona can't shake the Matt Flynn rumors this offseason. Could any team really pull off two high-risk trade-and-signs for someone else's benchwarmer in two years?)

For history's sake, let's see where Flynn ranks among recent backups who were acquired to become starters, and for what cost.

1995: Mark Brunell traded to Jacksonville for a 3rd and 5th round pick. 

Brunell, a fifth-round pick in 1993, was Brett Favre's backup in Green Bay for two seasons, throwing a total of 27 passes in the pros when the expansion Jaguars made a deal to acquire him as their starter. Brunell's success (making it to the AFC Championship game in year 2) helped push up the price tag for future deals like this.   

2001: Matt Hasselbeck traded to Seattle for an exchange of 1st round picks, plus a 3rd rounder.

Hasselbeck had a strong supporter in Mike Holmgren, who had drafted him as Favre's backup in 1998 and migrated to coffee country the following year. Like Brunell, Hasselbeck had only thrown a handful of passes (29 to be exact) before being put in trade talks. Despite giving up a first rounder in the deal, Seattle didn't pay too heavy a price. They had the 7th and 10th picks in that draft, and sacrificed the 10th pick for the Packers' 17th, which they turned into potential Hall of Fame caliber guard Steve Hutchinson. 

Hasselbeck himself was either overrated or underrated as a passer for most of his career, depending on who you talked to. But as far as deals go, the Seahawks got a solid long-term starter for a couple handfuls of draft value points.

2004: Matt Schaub traded to Houston for an exchange of 1st round picks, plus a pair of 2nd rounders. 

Houston was in pretty desperate straits after the David Carr experiment had finally ground to a merciful halt. They targeted a relatively high-profile backup in Matt Schaub, a former third-rounder who had thrown 161 passes (along with 6 TDs and 6 INTs) over three seasons in Michael Vick's stead. The Texans paid a hefty price in 2nd round picks, often the most valuable in the draft, and swapped down two spots from #8 overall to #10 to make the deal work. 

2009: Matt Cassel (and Mike Vrabel) traded to Kansas City for a 2nd round pick.

Cassel offers a nearly exact comparable to Flynn's situation, at least from a contract standpoint. After spending seven total years on the bench - four at USC, three in New England - Cassel's name was finally called in relief of Tom Brady. Fully steeped in Josh McDaniels' offense, Cassel threw for 3,693 yards, 21 TDs and 11 INTs and led the Patriots to an 11-5 record... but amazingly, no playoff spot. Here, the timeline gets a little dicey.

On January 5th, 2009, it was reported that GM Scott Pioli would place the franchise tag on Cassel to keep him out of reach while the team worked out a deal. Less than ten days later, Pioli was hired as GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 5th, the Pats officially placed the tag on Cassel. February 28th, Pioli consummated the deal to bring him to western Missouri.

The deal was relatively friendly in terms of picks, compared to these others, though whether that was a reflection on Cassel's contract requirements or just a gentleman's agreement between Pioli and Belichick is unknown. Regardless, Cassel was still an unrestricted free agent, and that July Pioli signed him to a six-year $63 million megadeal.

(Note: Thanks to @TheSteelersNat for the reminder on Cassel.)     

2011: Kevin Kolb traded to Arizona for a 2nd round pick and former first-rounder Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. 

The success of Brunell pushed up the price tag for Hasselbeck, whose success pushed up the price for Schaub, whose success pushed up the price for Kolb. Kolb's experience in the league - four years played, 7 games started, and more than 300 passes thrown - made for a double-edged sword for the Cardinals, who felt obliged (by Kolb's agent) to sign the quarterback to a long-term deal.

By comparison with these players, Flynn has thrown fewer passes than Schaub (132), but played just as long as Kolb, putting the team that acquires him in immediate contract jeopardy. The Packers are apparently willing to up the ante by putting the franchise tag on him, apparently being willing to pay him $14 million dollars to sit on the bench if no one bites. (In case you were wondering, Aaron Rodgers is scheduled to make $8 million this season.)

Regardless of Kolb's lukewarm start, the price tag in these deals keeps rising. Is Flynn worth a first round pick and a huge contract to any team? Joe Philbin and Stephen Ross in Miami just might have something to say about that.

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The Detroit Lions took a massive leap forward as a team in 2011, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1999, as Matt Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards and Calvin Johnson led the league in receiving yards en route to being an almost-unanimous All-Pro selection. Their stay in the playoffs would prove short-lived, though, as the New Orleans Saints moved the ball virtually at will. The Saints did that on the heels of Week 17's game against the Green Bay Packers, when a Matt Flynn-led offense did the same. If the Lions are to be a serious Super Bowl contender, they'll need to avoid those defensive disasters in the future. What do they have to do to avoid them, and what role might Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley play going forward?

The first question Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz have to answer is, how good exactly was their defense in 2011? Was it as bad as it looked those final two games, when they gave up 45 points both games, the Packers rolled up 469 yards passing and 550 yards total offense and the Saints 459 yards passing and 626 yards total offense?

The answer, somewhat surprisingly, seems to be that it was better than you think, and a lot better than the final two games would indicate. The question is how this self-evaluation will lead this team's approach to the offseason. 

Alex Smith has worn a San Francisco 49ers uniform for seven years now. 2011 marks the first time his team has finished above 18th in the league in points. And while he was called upon to manage games for most of the regular season, the playoffs provided a revelation. 

Alex Smith, a former bust who has had to struggle his way to mediocrity, outgunned the mighty Drew Brees at the end of of a memorable division-round matchup with the New Orleans Saints. It showed a side of Smith that few had ever seen in the pros, or even guessed was possible. Consider it his Eli Manning moment. He stood uncharacteristically strong in the pocket and fearlessly launched passes deep down the seam and peppered the sidelines, connecting with fellow first-rounders Ted Ginn, Michael Crabtree and his secret weapon, Vernon Davis. 

As revelatory as that game was, it also raised the stakes for Smith's play as a passer. For the first time since Steve Young was taking snaps, the 49ers won a playoff game on quarterback play. But the following week against the Giants, Smith found himself without Ginn, with no faith in Crabtree, and with Vernon Davis bracketed by double and triple coverage. 

At that point, the difference between Alex and Eli, fellow #1 overall picks, was starkly apparent. Eli has weapons, plural. Smith has a weapon - Davis - and a couple of warm bodies. With little else to improve on this offseason, finding new targets in the passing game has to be priority one for San Francisco.

But how will they do it? Who will they target? That's the burning question for this offseason. 

Consider this burning question answered by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles will apply the franchise tag to DeSean Jackson, the team's biggest question mark this offseason, to keep him in green for one more season. Next question: Then what?

Count on one thing. Jackson will not see a day of free agency. The Eagles have no other choice.

Jackson was a second round 2008 Draft pick who blew away concern for his small size by scoring 24 total touchdowns in his first three seasons in the league, none more dramatic than his 65-yard punt return for a score in the Eagles' improbable 21-point comeback against the Giants in December 2010.

DeSean is the Eagles' rock star whose talent is not easily replaced. The Chiefs are sure to find a way to keep Dwayne Bowe. The Saints may do the same with Marques Colston. Vincent Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent, but he is three years older than Jackson is and he would have to transition from Norv Turner's downfield offense to Andy Reid's West Coast Offense. There are no free agent alternatives to Jackson.      

The Eagles might strike gold in the NFL Draft as they did with Jackson, but DeSean is the known commodity. Why take that risk? Then again, conventional wisdom says, why take the risk of signing him long term next season, if you think you can strike gold in the draft? 

In a article at GQ, we're being treated to an insightful look into the life of Tim Tebow's backup quarterback, Brady Quinn. Quinn, who remained silent most of the season, rips Tim Tebow and the culture that has grown around Tebow. Said Quinn,

"...I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that. Just 'cause they were chanting his name. There was a big calling for him. No, I didn't have any billboards. That would have been nice."

Quinn didn't directly rip Tebow in the article. Instead, he takes a more civil, covert approach when he explains why Tebow was so successful late in games,

"The entire game, the defensive line is chasing the quarterback around, and that wears down the pass rush. Meanwhile, the defensive backs are chasing receivers, but you only throw eight passes, so they start to feel lazy. It only takes that one play, that one big pass, for a touchdown."

On one hand, I do feel sorry for Brady Quinn. He had high hopes when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, but he never produced. I've affectionately known him as "Captain Checkdown" because of his unimpressive 5.39 career yards per pass attempt.

All that being said, Quinn brings up a valid point. Maybe Tim Tebow isn't that great. Perhaps the defensive backs are in fact getting complacent over the course of the game, opening up big play opportunities late in the game.

At the end of the day, Quinn's comments do little to help him further his career. He comes off as being childish and whiny by publicly making statements such as the ones above, even if those statements are completely relevant and valid arguments.

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The age curve for NFL running backs is a brutal thing, and at the age of 30, is it finally catching up with Michael Turner?

Matt Ryan is carrying more and more of the offensive load, partly by design and partly by necessity as Turner rapidly disappears from the game plan. In Ryan's rookie year, the Falcons' running plays outnumbered their passing plays by 126. Last year, with Julio Jones bracketing Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez working the inside, their passing plays outnumbered their runs by 140. Do the Falcons get balance back into their offense? If so, who carries the rock?  

The Falcons have skill on offense with quarterback Matt Ryan, tight end Tony Gonzalez, running back Michael Turner, and receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones, but the running game and the red-zone offense have wobbled at times.

They finished the 2011 season 10-6, but they beat just two teams with winning records, Detroit and Tennessee. They were clobbered on the road by New Orleans, 45-16, yet fought the Saints and the Packers at home before losing close games to both.

As much as it seemed to disappear throughout the season, based on the team's 2011 performance, you could easily call running back a position of strength for the Atlanta Falcons.  That fact is, Turner is not going anywhere… at least not yet.

April 26^th 1983 was the last time the Miami Dolphins drafted a QB in the first round. That quarterback happened to be Dan Marino, and it turned out to be a historic day in Dolphins history. In 1999 Marino retired and the search for someone to fill his shoes started.

February 2012, 13 years later, the Dolphins are still looking for that QB to fill Marino’s shoes. Whether it was Ray Lucas, Jay Feely, Jay Fielder, John Beck, Chad Henne, the list goes on.

How bad is it? The Miami Sun Sentinel put together a photo montage of every Dolphins QB since Marino, 161 pages long. Sixteen players in total have started a game for the Dolphins since Marino left. Enjoy or cry if you’re a Dolphins fan.

This year's burning question is the same one that has been burning through the minds of Dolphins fans for 13 years now. Is this the year the Dolphins finally draft another 1^st round QB? I doubt it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't find themselves with a new name under center, and a new look to their offense.

It's safe to assume that the Indianapolis Colts will be drafting Andrew Luck with the first overall pick of the 2012 draft. That much is almost a certainty. Yes, there are a few people that seriously believe Robert Griffin III is the better pick, but those people do not seem to reside in Indianapolis. The question moving forward following the draft is, now what?

Since 1998, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have become nearly synonymous terms. Lucas Oil Stadium may not exist today had the Colts drafted Ryan Leaf instead of Peyton Manning. For Colts fans, it's hard to let go of one of the greatest runs any team has every went on in the history of the league, but it is finally becoming increasingly clear that the Manning era in Indy is over.

Andrew Luck represents the future for the Colts. He's possibly the highest rated quarterback prospect since Manning back in '98, and the franchise will be looking to him to continue the winning tradition started by Peyton. Everything beyond drafting Luck is up in the air. 

Today is the first day that NFL teams have the ability to apply the franchise tag to players. Each team is only allowed one franchise tag, which locks up a select player in a one year contract.

One of the big name free agents-to-be is Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice, coming off of his fourth year in the league, would be the hottest running back free agent should he not sign with the Ravens. SI's Peter King gave us some insight on the Ray Rice contract negotiations in a recent report.

I'm hearing Rice wants an Adrian Peterson-type of contract; Peterson signed a seven-year deal worth up to $100 million last September, with the major provision that he'll make $40 million in the first three years. I don't see the Ravens doing that for Rice. I see them, if they can't do a new deal, using the reasonable franchise tag of $7.7 million for running backs on Rice.

To add even more to the Ray Rice debate, I'd be shocked if anyone paid Ray Rice the kind of money he's looking for. With just 1,364 yards, he just won't command anything resembling a $100 million contract for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, 1,364 yards is a lot, but it's not that much. He's among the best runners in the NFL, but running backs don't generally command huge contracts like Peterson did.

That brings us to the second reason no one will pay Ray Rice as much as he wants. Running backs just aren't that big of a deal in today's NFL. Adrian Peterson is special. You pay special players big money. Ray Rice is good, very good, but not that good. There's a very limited market of teams willing to drop massive amounts of cash on a running back. Most teams would rather spend that money on improving their passing attack or pass defense. It's that simple.

All that being the case, Ray Rice will probably be sticking around Baltimore. Applying the franchise tag to Ray Rice would cost the Ravens $7.7 million, and that's a price I think the Ravens are willing to pay. Ray Rice is a game changing running back in the right system, and the Ravens have built a team around the premise of running the ball, controlling the flow of the game, and dominating the opposition with a staunch defensive unit. That's the type of team Ray Rice will continue to excel in, and that seems to be where he'll be for the foreseeable future.

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Despite what Rex Ryan thinks, the New York Jets are not the kings of the Big Apple. That role is currently taken by the New York Football Giants. The Jets have a lot to do this off season before they can be considered true contenders in the AFC again.

The number one talked about name you might hear associated to the Jets this offseason is Peyton Manning. While the Jets are still a long shot to land Manning, the more interesting storyline will be whether or not they make a full out pursuit for his services.

While the Jets are a name attached to Peyton, as of right now that is pure speculation. Should the Jets make their intentions for Manning public it could have a large implications on the future of Mark Sanchez. While most don’t believe Sanchez is the right guy, Rex Ryan claims he will stick by his guy.

The of season is still very fresh and I’m sure this storyline will continue to linger. However the odds are still that Mark Sanchez will be the opening day starter. With that being said, is that the right decision? Sanchez has been criticized throughout his career for everything you can think of: his poor play in the cold, his inability to make big throws, his inconsistent decision making, his photo shoot in GQ, and even eating a hot dog on the sidelines.

That being said let's not forget that the Jets still have been able to reach two AFC championship games with Mark running the plays.

The bad news for the Jets is though that there is more evidence of Sanchez regressing than of him improving his game. With Mark Burnell as his backup it is unlikely the old man will be able to push Sanchez into maybe getting more out of him. Even if available, Peyton is not expected to land in New York. That leaves the Jets with the burning question of whether or not to draft a QB.