NFL Analyst Lists OLB Lions Should Put on Trade Block
The 2021 NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday, November 2, at 4 p.m. ET.
Around this time of year, organizations and pundits alike begin to explore which teams should be buyers and sellers at the trade deadline.
In fact, the Philadelphia Eagles traded tight end Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick on Friday.
The Cardinals remain the only undefeated team this season, and are looking to build upon their 5-0 start to the season.
In a recent NFL.com article exploring players who should be on the trade block in the coming weeks, a member of the Lions' defense was targeted as a player the organization should consider moving.
As Gil Brandt explains,
"Flowers is a vestige of the Matt Patricia/Bob Quinn regime -- and it's fair to say the five-year, $90 million deal he signed back in 2019 did not exactly work out as hoped. Flowers had seven sacks in his initial season in Detroit, but has just 3.5 since, having missed much of 2020 with a fractured forearm.
Still, he's versatile enough to play outside linebacker or defensive end, and he remains solid against the run, garnering run-defense grades of 70 or better from Pro Football Focus in each of his three Detroit seasons so far. With the 0-5 Lions in clear rebuild mode, perhaps a contender could be enticed into coughing up some draft compensation in exchange for veteran help up front."
The challenging aspect of dealing Flowers would be his significant cap hit, if the Lions moved on from him.
In 2021, the veteran defensive lineman is earning a base salary of $14,375,000, while carrying a cap hit of $19,989,000 and a dead cap value of $32,842,000, according to spotrac.com.
When healthy, Flowers' presence in Detroit's defense has paid dividends, as he has been willing to play outside linebacker, after spending most of his career as an EDGE rusher.
While the opportunity would be enticing, it may be more reasonable to make a deal after the conclusion of the 2021 season.
