The Detroit Lions are struggling through a woeful 0-6 season on the field, and aside from perhaps making an addition to their offense, most would expect the team to be sellers this season.
But who could the team realistically look to deal away? The roster doesn’t have many healthy players at this point, but there are a few veterans that could make sense to put on the block and potentially even ship away to contenders for draft compensation.
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One such player is linebacker Trey Flowers. Flowers is one of the lone holdovers from the old New England Patriots regime, and though he remains an important piece for the defense, could also be a player that could be seen to be on the block for a deal in the coming weeks. On November 2, the NFL trade deadline will take place, and Flowers has been said to be a player who should be on the move.
That’s according to NFL Hall of Famer, former general manager and NFL.com contributor Gil Brandt. In a piece, Brandt identified the players who he believed should be on the trading block this year. For the Lions, his pick was Flowers. The reasoning? As Brandt wrote, Flowers hasn’t exactly lived up to his mega-deal in Detroit which is worth $90 million, and he has position versatility which could help a contending team perhaps be motivated into giving up a draft pick to add Flowers to the mix for the stretch run.
With the release of linebacker Jamie Collins last month, Flowers is the last former Patriots player signed by former general manager Bob Quinn on the roster. Much of this season, Flowers has had to play through pain given injuries to his shoulder and knee. On the season, Flowers has put up 17 total tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Lions, which isn’t a huge output given how important he figured to be for the team’s defense.
If the Lions could get a middle-round pick for Flowers, they might have no choice but to make a move like this. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what plays out in the next few weeks.
Lions 2021 NFL Trade Deadline Primer
While many believe the Lions could look to add a wideout, the team could be more poised to make a few key deals such as this one in order to gain more draft picks for 2021. Detroit already figures to be in play for the top overall selection, and if they were able to add more, it could go a long way toward their rebuild. In terms of players who could be placed on the block, Flowers is quite possibly the best choice given his age and the possibility that the team is ready to move on from him in the defense. That could be especially true if a middle-round selection is offered up.
Others have speculated that the Lions should potentially look to deal Taylor Decker given the fact they have Penei Sewell playing a decent role for the team’s offensive line. The Lions, though, might prefer to have a stronger offensive line and keep both players in the mix. For the most part, Detroit’s roster is young, which means their best chance for a dealing a player could very well come in the form of putting Flowers on the block this month.
Flowers’ Career Stats and Highlights
It’s safe to say Flowers was coming into a huge season in Detroit in 2021. His massive contract makes him a bit of a target for those who want to see more production. In his Lions’ career, Flowers has 73 tackles, 9 sacks and just 2 forced fumbles. In his career, Flowers has racked up 30 total sacks and 237 tackles. Obviously, these numbers prove the talent is there, so being able to work Flowers into the right scheme and keep him healthy could be more the issue for the team at this point in time. In Week 1, Flowers put up 4 tackles plus 1 forced fumble as part of a solid effort. Since, he’s been more up and down due to injuries.
Here’s a look at some highlights of Flowers from his first season in Detroit in 2019:
Obviously, Flowers has talent, and he might want to use that talent to help a winning team. If the Lions agree and want to try to cash in on a veteran player, Brandt’s projection could be proven true by early November.
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Former GM Believes Veteran Lions Linebacker Should Be on Trade Block