The forecast for trading the St. Louis Rams second pick in the 2012 NFL Draft got a little, um, murkier on Monday. That was the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag on one of their free agents, if they so desired. The Green Bay Packers opted against slapping backup quarterback Matt Flynn with the franchise tag, meaning he will be a free agent come March 13.

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How does this change the trade picture for the Rams?

Green Bay's decision changes the landscape a little. With no tag, Flynn is free to sign anywhere he chooses, while holding out for the kind of contract he wants. Flynn would have been a less popular option for teams had the Packers tagged him and demanded a trade.

The price tag to sign Flynn is expected to be hefty, despite his relative lack of experience. Miami has been the team most often linked to Flynn, given the presence of Joe Philbin, his offensive coordinator in Green Bay. However, the Dolphins have been whispered in connection with Peyton Manning lately.

Cleveland is also thought to be interested in Flynn, but unwilling to spend an arm and a leg, sort of their m.o. this offseason and a good bet that they will again be looking up at every other team in the AFC North while Pat Shurmur takes his exciting style of offense to someone else in 2013.

Flynn will take one potential suitor out of the mix for the Rams' second pick. The good news is that Washington is not expected to be in on Flynn.