New details on the Ereck Flowers trade, and how it could upend top of first round
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has orchestrated another predraft swap, this time sending Ereck Flowers back to Washington for late-round draft compensation, the Miami Herald has confirmed.
NFL Network first reported the trade, which comes just a year after Flowers — who allowed five sacks and committed three penalties in 857 snaps in 2020 — signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Miami.
“I’m very excited and anxious to get back up there because I love the O-line room, and I already had a good relationship with coach John Matsko as well,” Flowers told ESPN. “This is best for me.”
ESPN reported that the Dolphins and the Flowers have agreed to a restructure to facilitate the trade. which Miami will pay him $6 million up front in the form of a signing bonus, and the Washington Football Team will pay him $3 million in base salary. That detail and the modest compensation in return — the Dolphins and the Washington Football Team swap seventh-round picks, per NFL Network — suggest this move was a salary dump for Miami.
The Dolphins do save $3 million in cash in 2021 and slightly improve their draft haul for a player they likely would have cut if he had a more palatable contract.
The trade does also provide some cap relief — believed to be between $2 million and $5 million — and the Dolphins need it. They entered the day without enough space to sign their entire draft class. But the move also creates another need on the eve of the draft.
The Dolphins on Tuesday dealt away one of their most veteran and reliable offensive lineman — and will need to figure out a way replace him.
It could come early in the draft.
Oregon right tackle Penei Sewell might be on the board when they go on the clock at 6, and the team is open to taking him, a source tells the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins’ plan is to move Robert Hunt from right tackle to right guard and fill the right tackle spot with either Sewell or a veteran. Solomon Kindley seems likely to swap from right guard to left, where he played significant snaps in college.
They still seem more likely than not to take one of the top four pass-catchers (Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle) at 6, however.
The Dolphins seemingly prepared for the loss of Flowers by adding the Ravens’ D.J. Fluker to a one-year deal in recent days.
Fluker will be be one of the veteran leaders of a group that will be quite young, particularly if they draft one early. Their core offensive line looks to feature three second-year players (Hunt, Kindley and Austin Jackson) and three veterans (Fluker, Matt Skura and Jesse Davis).
Offensive line options for the Dolphins in Day 2 include Alabama center Landon Dickerson, Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey and Wisconsin-Whitewater interior lineman Quinn Meinerz.
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 11:28 AM.
