The Detroit Lions are ready to start reshaping their roster for the 2022 season, and a big way they can do that is to slice some players from the roster.
Such decisions are never easy given what all players mean to teams, but there are a few players who could figure in as potential cuts that could be looking for new opportunities. The Lions have a few of these players, and perhaps one of the bigger name ones in Trey Flowers.
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Recently, Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox put together a list of the top players in the league who could be cap casualties. For the Lions, Flowers made the cut as the choice, and Knox wrote about why he could soon be going the other way.
As Knox writes, Flowers’ inability to stay healthy has hurt him with the Lions the last few seasons since signing his massive contract. That, in his mind, lends itself to the notion that he could be cut. Interestingly enough, Knox says that Flowers “would undoubtedly gain attention on the free-agent market” if released, and “would be one of the better free agents available in the second tier.”
Flowers hasn’t enjoyed a great run with the Lions production-wise, but he’s been an important veteran voice in the locker room for chemistry. To that end, Knox could be right that some team would consider him an intriguing buy on the market.
The team hasn’t officially moved on yet, but if they do, folks would be wise to watch Flowers to see what could happen to him on the market. Safe to say he wouldn’t cash in like he did with the Lions, but he could be an intriguing pick up.
Why Lions Could Move on From Flowers
Once a top free agent in his class in 2018, Flowers came to Detroit with much fanfare, but did not exactly deliver upon being paid as if he was one of the best defenders in the league. For that reason, plus potential scheme fit issues within Aaron Glenn’s new look defense that has transitioned to a 3-4 look, it could make sense for the team to move on from Flowers and save money. Moving on from Flowers could also allow the Lions to get a bit younger up front. which has been a goal of theirs since the beginning. Last year, it started with the addition of rookie players like Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill.
Whether other teams could look to Flowers or not, the Lions could decide on the youth movement again for 2022 and elect to save the money and apply it elsewhere across their roster. If that’s the case, Flowers could be moving on and looking for that new home many project he may find.
Flowers’ Career Stats & 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, and has never stayed healthy. Flowers had only 24 total tackles and 1.5 sacks this year.
Here’s a look at some highlights of Flowers from his first season with the Lions in 2019:
Obviously, Flowers has talent, but he hasn’t stayed healthy and his production has been spotty. That, combined with a big contract, will make him one of the more interesting cases for fans to follow this offseason in Detroit. For some, it could make him an easy player to be moved out for cap purposes.
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Veteran Lions Defender Projected to ‘Gain Attention’ if Released