NFL roundup: Raiders, 49ers acquire quarterbacks in trades
The two Bay Area teams picked up some help at the quarterback position via trades on Monday.
The Oakland Raiders announced that they gave the Seattle Seahawks a fifth-round draft pick in 2014 and a conditional undisclosed draft pick in 2015 for quarterback Matt Flynn.
The Raiders are also nearing a deal to send quarterback Carson Palmer to the Arizona Cardinals, according to multiple reports. The Raiders would get a late-round draft choice from the Cardinals for Palmer.
Flynn is entering his sixth NFL season. In two career starts, he completed 55 of 81 passes for 731 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers acquired quarterback Colt McCoy from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for two undisclosed picks in this month's NFL Draft.
McCoy gives the 49ers the mobile backup to starter Colin Kaepernick they have been seeking since dealing Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs last month.
McCoy started 13 games for the Browns in 2011, but he played in just three games in 2012, completing nine of 17 passes.
--The New Orleans Saints announced that free agent quarterback Luke McCown agreed to a one-year contract.
McCown will back up Drew Brees, as Chase Daniel recently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
--President Barack Obama spoke with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III on Saturday about playing safer, according to the Washington Times.
Griffin said that Obama talked to him about "protecting myself" during a conversation the two had at the Verizon Center. They were in attendance for Syracuse's win over Marquette in the NCAA Tournament.
--Former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, according to multiple media reports.
Smith is projected to be the first quarterback taken in this month's NFL draft. He is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback and eighth-best draft prospect overall by NFLDraftScout.com.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, announced they signed linebacker Edgar Jones and released linebacker Andy Studebaker.
Jones has played in 57 games in six NFL seasons with Kansas City and the Baltimore Ravens, mostly as a special teams player.
--The Cincinnati Bengals announced they re-signed cornerback Terence Newman.
Newman led the Bengals with 14 passes defensed in 2012 and had 75 tackles in 15 starts. He has 34 career interceptions.
--Ravens safety Christian Thompson was suspended for four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Thompson finished his rookie season on injured reserve because of a knee injury. The fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina State played seven games on special teams.
