Trey Flowers - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins To Work Out DE Trey Flowers

August 24th, 2022 at 9:29am CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Flowers may have an opportunity to be an AFC East pass rusher again. The Dolphins are working out the former Patriots and Lions edge defender, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

This marks Flowers’ first known audition since the Lions made him a cap casualty in March. Flowers spent the past three years in Detroit, following former New England DC Matt Patricia to the Lions. While the big-ticket contract Flowers signed in 2019 did not end up producing big results, the seven-year veteran remains one of the top players available.

The former Patriots standout, who turned 29 last week, struggled with injuries with the Lions. He played in just seven games in each of the past two seasons. He finished his final two Lions seasons on IR, totaling just 3.5 sacks in that span. With the Patriots, however, Flowers played a major role in helping the team to three straight Super Bowls. He will be looking for a bounce-back opportunity in 2022.

Flowers signed a five-year, $90MM Lions pact in 2019, coming to Michigan after being New England’s top edge for multiple seasons. The former fourth-round pick became a reliable cog for the Pats following their 2016 Chandler Jones trade. Flowers recorded 21 sacks and 59 quarterback hits from 2016-18, forcing five fumbles in that span. He added 5.5 sacks in the playoffs, including a 2.5-sack showing in Super Bowl LI. While Flowers showed some of that form in Detroit, tallying seven sacks and 21 QB hits in 2019, injuries derailed his run on that monster contract.

When at full strength, the Dolphins are fairly well-situated on the edge. They re-signed Emmanuel Ogbah in March and added Melvin Ingram shortly after the draft. The team also has 2021 first-round pick Jaelan Phillips under long-term contract. A Flowers addition would seemingly be a move to add a rotational rusher.

Although Brian Flores is no longer with the Dolphins, the defensive coordinator he brought over — Josh Boyer — remains with the team. Boyer was in New England during Flowers’ stay, working as the Pats’ cornerbacks coach during that time.

Packers Eyeing Veteran Edge Addition?

June 25th, 2022 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers have made a number of changes to their edge rush group this offseason, but another addition may be in the cards. The team “might be looking for upgrades” at the position, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

Green Bay lost Za’Darius Smith in free agency to the Ravens, it appeared at first, but he ultimately signed with the Vikings. With the two-time Pro Bowler gone, it became increasingly important that the Packers had re-signed fellow veteran pass rusher Preston Smith at the onset of free agency.

The latter is set to maintain his starting role in 2022. He will be paired with 2019 first-rounder Rashan Gary, who took a significant step forward last season. While that tandem should be in line to replicate their playing time and production from 2021, depth has been a talking point throughout the offseason.

To little surprise, Green Bay added Kingsley Enagbare in the fifth round of the draft to help address that need. The South Carolina product never had more than six sacks in a single college season, but he is listed in Demovsky’s projected depth chart as the No. 3 edge rusher on the roster. Another name included is that of Randy Ramsey, who played almost exclusively on special teams in 2020 as a rookie, and missed the entire 2021 campaign due to an ankle injury.

With very little experience behind Smith and Gary, a veteran signing would make plenty of sense. Some of the top free agents still available include Jason Pierre-Paul, Trey Flowers and, depending on the outcome regarding his UFA tender, Justin Houston. Green Bay currently ranks in the top-10 in the league in cap space, so a short-term, low-cost addition would also be financially feasible. Whether they choose to make one in the coming days or weeks could be one of the most important roster decisions still facing the team.

Ravens Seeking Veteran Edge Rush Addition?

June 6th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

This time of the offseason is rife with teams looking to round out their depth charts with available veterans who can help fill remaining roster holes. In the case of the Ravens, that could lead them to be players on the edge rusher market.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Athletic (subscription required) writes that Baltimore will “likely still sign a free agent pass rusher”. The team has already added a number of notable players on defense recently, including veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller. Their front seven could stand to be bolstered further, though.

The Ravens currently have Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh at the top of their depth chart at the outside linebacker position. The former stepped into a larger role after the departures of Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue last offseason, and responded by putting up career highs in sacks (seven) and tackles (59). However, he suffered a torn Achilles in the season finale, putting his Week 1 availability in question.

That would place an even heavier burden on Oweh, who flashed potential with a five-sack rookie campaign, and the team’s other young options at the position, Jaylon Ferguson, Daelin Hayes and, potentially at some point this season, David Ojabo. As a result, it came as little surprise when general manager Eric DeCosta said in April that the team wasn’t finished making additions in the edge department. However, the team didn’t select a pass rusher in the draft other than the injured Ojabo, leaving the June free agent market as the last realistic avenue to add to the unit.

With respect to veterans, the likeliest move could be a reunion with Justin Houston. The Ravens placed the rarely-used UFA tender on the 33-year-old last month, pointing to another low-cost, one-year deal being possible in the near future. The longtime Chief totalled 4.5 sacks in 15 games, providing an experienced presence to an otherwise young unit. If not Houston, other options for the Ravens to target include Trey Flowers and Jason Pierre-Paul. By training camp, the team could very well have signed one of those three, or another edge rusher, to add depth to a position group facing a number of questions.

Lions To Release Trey Flowers

March 10th, 2022 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are set to release outside linebacker Trey Flowers, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). The Lions first tried to trade the veteran (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), but they ultimately weren’t able to find a suitable deal.

With his outright release, Flowers will be a full-fledged unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team. However, that won’t become official until the first day of the league year (next week), as noted by Birkett. In theory, Flowers could still be traded between now and then, though his contract will probably be a blocker.

Flowers came up with the Patriots, where he missed all but one game in his rookie year. After that, he tallied 21 sacks and 25 tackles for loss across three full seasons. The Lions snagged him in the 2019 offseason, inking the edge rusher to a five-year, $90MM deal. His first year went well with seven sacks and eight total tackles for loss. Unfortunately, injuries have hampered him the last two years — he suited up in just 14 total games between 2020 and 2021.

By releasing the edge rusher, the Lions can save $10.4MM against $12.85MM in dead money. They can also spread out that dead money hit with the post-June 1 designation, which would kick roughly half of it to the 2023 books.

Flowers, 29 in August, had just 1.5 sacks in his partial season. Still, he has youth on his side, ample starting experience, and a career tally of 31.5 sacks.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Flowers, Hunter

February 27th, 2022 at 8:20am CST by Rory Parks

The Lions, who own the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, are open to trading that selection. If GM Brad Holmes elects to keep it, however, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press does not expect Holmes to pick Liberty QB Malik Willis. Though Detroit worked closely with Willis at the Senior Bowl, and though the big-armed passer performed well at that event, the consensus still seems to be that he is not worthy of the No. 2 pick.

Theoretically, trading down from the top of the draft board could make it more likely that the Lions select Willis or a different quarterback with their first pick, but Birkett does not believe the club will draft a signal-caller with any of its first three selections (presently No. 2, No. 32, and No. 34 overall). If Detroit stays at No. 2, Birkett expects a pass rusher — either Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux — to be the choice.

Let’s round up a few more NFC North notes and rumors:

Birkett does expect the Lions to be more active in free agency this offseason than they were last year, and he cites wide receiver and safety as the two likeliest positions to be upgraded with a notable signing. Both he and Chris Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) believe edge defender Trey Flowers looms as a potential cap casualty — Flowers’ release would add $10.5MM to the Lions’ books if he is cut prior to June 1, and $16MM if he is designated a post-June 1 cut.
Even without removing Flowers from the roster, Holmes has roughly $25MM of cap space to work with. Because of his position (safety) and connection to the Lions‘ coaching staff, Birkett names the Saints’ Marcus Williams as a potential FA target for Holmes.
Vikings standout Danielle Hunter will line up both at DE and OLB in new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell‘s scheme, per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Hunter has played in just seven games over the past two years, and between that lack of availability and his lofty 2022 cap charge of $26.1MM, Arif Hasan of The Athletic (subscription required) identifies him as a release candidate. Hasan, though, says such as a move is unlikely, and given how well Hunter performed in 2021 before succumbing to a torn pec — six sacks, six tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits in his seven games — it appears the LSU product will stay in Minnesota and will get a chance to show off his versatility.
The Bears have hired Matt Feinstein as their new director of football administration, per a team announcement. As Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago details, Feinstein worked in the league office for seven years, and he will replace Joey Laine, who served as former GM Ryan Pace‘s director of football administration and who was Pace’s lead contract negotiator and salary cap manager.

Lions Place OLB Trey Flowers On IR

December 4th, 2021 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Linebacker Trey Flowers‘ season has come to an end. The Lions’ pass rusher has been unable to stay on the field all year, missing four out of eleven games this season.

Flowers joined the Lions in 2019 after signing a substantial five-year deal worth $90MM. Flowers had racked up 21.0 sacks and 25 tackles for loss in three full seasons with the Patriots after missing all but one game of his rookie season. Flowers showed the production his contract promised in his first year with Detroit tallying 7.0 sacks and 8 tackles for loss. His injury troubles would begin the following year, though, as he only played in 7 games, a total he was only able to match and not surpass this season.

The Lions will now have to consider what the future holds for Flowers in Detroit. Flowers holds a cap hit in the 2022 season of $23.24MM, with about $12.85MM being potential dead money. It’s hard to say the Lions have been able to move on without Flowers this season. Despite Flowers’ limited production only resulting in 1.5 sacks this year, that total is still good for fourth on the team.

Still, the Lions may decide that the risk of losing Flowers to injury may not outweigh the significant cap space he’ll take up. For now, shutting him down allows Flowers a chance to get healthy as the Lions take time to determine his value.

Lions Notes: Okwara, Onwuzurike, Tavai

May 24th, 2021 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have a new regime in place, led by head coach Dan Campbell. Often times, coaching changes put incumbent players on the chopping block, but that’s not necessarily the case for 2019 second-round pick Jahlani Tavai.

“I tell you what, I’ve been really impressed with Jahlani,” linebackers coach Mark DeLeone said (via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News). “He’s been here (and) he’s been doing a great job. He’s in really good shape right now. I’m excited to work with him. I’m excited for us to get to OTAs and be able to continue with him because I’m really excited about him.”

“I can just tell you when he came out when he was out on the field this week, he’s been doing well and I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far. He has a really good understanding of the game. I think he’s gonna be a nice piece for us to work within this scheme.”

The Lions are exploring their options at LB, including newcomer Alex Anzalone, who has history with Campbell. Tavai, meanwhile, has failed to impress in his two pro seasons. After notching two tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception as a rookie, Tavai didn’t make much of an impact last year. He appeared in all 16 games and made ten starts, but earned poor marks from Pro Football Focus across the board, including a dismal 35.7 score for his coverage. Still, the Lions seem to think that this can be a turning point for the young ‘backer.

Lions Place Trey Flowers On IR

November 2nd, 2020 at 3:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Lions lost to the Colts on Sunday, and they picked up a couple of significant injuries while doing so. Defensive end Trey Flowers is going on injured reserve and as such will miss at least the next three games, the team announced Monday.

Meanwhile star receiver Kenny Golladay picked up a hip injury that will sideline him this week and have him week to week moving forward, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport noted in a follow-up tweet that IR is a possibility for him as well. The team views Flowers’ stint as a short-term one, Tim Twentyman of the team’s official site tweets.

It sounds like he’ll be back before too long, but it’s still a big blow. Signed to a five-year, $90MM pact last March, Flowers is the anchor of Detroit’s already underwhelming pass-rush. The former Patriot has two sacks and two forced fumbles through seven games this year. Fortunately the team just traded for Everson Griffen, and now they’ll really need him.

Golladay of course is the team’s top receiver, and this is a big setback for the offense. Golladay missed the first couple of games of the season with a hamstring issue, but had at least 105 yards in back to back games before going down against the Colts. Hopefully both will be back on the field as soon as possible.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Flowers

July 22nd, 2019 at 9:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have made some splashy trades since Ryan Pace replaced Phil Emery as GM in 2015. Deals that brought Khalil Mack and Mitch Trubisky to Chicago required major assets to complete. Fourth-year starter Cody Whitehair and second-round tight end Adam Shaheen also forced the Bears to surrender multiple mid-round picks. In a detailed piece by The Athletic’s Adam Jahns (subscription required), Pace summarized his aggressiveness on these fronts.

“I think if you sit on your hands and you say, ‘Oh, this player is definitely going to get to us,’ and he goes right before you and you had conviction on him — not just you but the scouts and the coaches – and you wait on it, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Pace said. “If you have a guy or a group of guys, be aggressive and make it happen.

“I don’t want to undervalue any of these mid-round picks. We’ve shown a lot examples of us hitting on those players. But I know if we’re ever in a situation where, ‘Hey, we’re doing a little too much here,’ we can police ourselves on that. But as long as it’s a fair deal and we’re getting a player that we all have conviction on, then we’ll do it.”

As teams break for camp, here is more from the NFC North:

A knee injury Ha Ha Clinton-Dix suffered during Chicago’s offseason program resulted in the recently signed safety beginning his first Bears camp on the active/PUP list. The former Packers and Redskins defender has not missed a game since the 2014 season.
However, the Bears received good news on Trey Burton. The team’s second-year tight end starter has been cleared for camp work. The “Philly Special” quarterback underwent sports hernia surgery this offseason.
Although Alexander Mattison is the assumed next man up if Dalvin Cook again goes down with an injury, Mike Zimmer cautioned about anointing the third-round pick too soon. The sixth-year Vikings coach (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling) singled out third-year UDFA C.J. Ham as a player who stands to play more on passing downs, in front of Mattison, due to pass-protection skills. Backs often begin their NFL careers limited at this skill, so the 26-year-old Ham (31 touches in two seasons, when Latavius Murray played behind Cook) may function as a stopgap while Mattison is groomed.
The Lions‘ top offseason expense, Trey Flowers will not begin camp with the bulk of his teammates. The four-year Patriots pass rusher will start his first Lions camp on their active/PUP list. Flowers underwent shoulder surgery before signing with the Lions, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes the $18MM-per-year defensive end is expected to be ready by Week 1.

Lions To Sign Trey Flowers

March 11th, 2019 at 2:32pm CST by Rory Parks

The Lions have agreed to sign free agent DE Trey Flowers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter tweets that it will be a five-year pact, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will be worth around $16MM-$17MM per year.

The official Flowers numbers are in. It’s a five-year, $90MM deal for the former Patriots defensive end, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter), adding Flowers will receive $56MM guaranteed and $40MM fully guaranteed at signing. All of that fully guaranteed cash will come Flowers’ way by 2020, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Flowers will earn $28.88MM in 2019 and $54.37MM in the first three years of this deal.

This contract will bring a $28MM signing bonus, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The first two base salaries — $805K in 2019 and $11.13MM (2020) — are fully guaranteed, per Wilson, who adds Flowers’ next two salaries will be $14.38MM (2021, with that total being guaranteed for injury only) and $10MM. The $10MM 2022 figure becomes fully guaranteed if Flowers is on the Lions’ roster on the third day of the 2021 league year.

Flowers was one of the top defenders available on the market this year, and it was reported this morning that the Bills were interested in his services. The Jets and Dolphins were also rumored to be interested in the soon-to-be former Patriot, but he instead opted to reunite with Matt Patricia in Detroit to bolster a pass rush that definitely needs some help.

Flowers won’t turn 26 until August, so he has the chance to build on an already impressive resume. Last year, he set a new career high with 7.5 sacks and continued to generate pressure against opposing QBs. He graded out as the sixth-best edge rusher in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus, and he posted a career-best 88.7 overall score. That mark put him below only Calais Campbell, Khalil Mack, J.J. Watt, Von Miller, and Cameron Jordan.

The Lions were expected to be active in free agency, and they have not disappointed. Flowers is the biggest addition the club has made so far, but they also signed Danny Amendola this morning and are expected to sign Justin Coleman.