Opinion: Trey Flowers won't be back next year

[SHOWTIME15]

Ziggy Ansah should be Franchised.

Probably, but I think Graham is a good option at a reasonable cost.

 

[PatsFan2]

I think the Pats sign him in a second for 12.

But someone could go 14-15 and that's too much.

If another offers more I wish him and his family all the best. 12 maybe 13 not a penny more.

 

[Sciz]

14-15Mill That's for a guaranteed 12 sack guy which Trey is not at the moment.

You’re really overrating the sack production of the highly paid edge rushers. Olivier Vernon, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Calais Campbell have TWO 12 sack seasons between them in their combined 33 NFL seasons. All four are on long term deals averaging at least $15 million a year.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Flowers is so much more than a pass rusher, even though he's one of the best at that. He sets the edge. He plays the run. He can move inside. He does it all.

In a pass happy league where nickel and dime packages rule the day, the DL is critical in both stopping the run and rushing the passer. A do-it-all guy like Flowers is worth so much in today's game. BB knows this. He's not going to compare Trey to traditional edge rushers. The game is different and Trey is ideal for this direction. Anything less than $15M/yr is a pipedream. He's worth at least that.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

If another offers more I wish him and his family all the best. 12 maybe 13 not a penny more.

I’ll be disappointed if we don’t match 14-15.

 

[TheRainMaker]

No, intentional tag and trade is no longer allowed.

$15M may be conservative. In fact I think the Patriots might come close to that range, like an offer that’s 13-14M and enough if Flowers wants to keep playing for a winner. I’m concerned he might get an offer for 17-18.

Hasn't intentional tag and trade always been nominally against the rules and teams are just finally starting to realize it makes them look bad to players?

While you are correct, the Dolphins tagged Jarvis Landry last off-season and announced to the rest of the NFL “Landry is available for trade”. The NFL did nothing and I’m surprised the media didn’t mention that’s against the rules of the Franchise Tag.

The purpose of the Franchise Tag is to protect that one player you don’t want to leave and negotiate in good faith for a long term deal. A couple of years ago, the Panthers Franchise Tagged Josh Norman but realized they could not sign him to a long-term deal so they took the tag off him and let him walk. Surprised they didn’t trade him like other teams have done in the past. Even when the Pats tagged Matt Cassel in 2008, you knew they weren’t going to sign him to a long term deal.

 

[LJRomanoff]

No, intentional tag and trade is no longer allowed.

So you say, but it's very likely the Eagles will do just that with Foles and be allowed to do it.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

While you are correct, the Dolphins tagged Jarvis Landry last off-season and announced to the rest of the NFL “Landry is available for trade”. The NFL did nothing and I’m surprised the media didn’t mention that’s against the rules of the Franchise Tag.

The purpose of the Franchise Tag is to protect that one player you don’t want to leave and negotiate in good faith for a long term deal. A couple of years ago, the Panthers Franchise Tagged Josh Norman but realized they could not sign him to a long-term deal so they took the tag off him and let him walk. Surprised they didn’t trade him like other teams have done in the past. Even when the Pats tagged Matt Cassel in 2008, you knew they weren’t going to sign him to a long term deal.

I think the player would welcome the trade in many cases. I wonder if that’s why some of the tag and trades, like Landry, are unofficially sanctioned?

 

[Hyped]

I don't expect Flowers back. The market rate for a premier DE is insane...even if Flowers is a bit of a "system fit" for us (e.g. good at setting the edge vs. rushing the QB).

I am thinking....I'd rather a comp 3rd, Grady Jarrett FA signing, and betting on Rivers/Davis/Wise stepping up with some other FA help....

Disclaimer: I am drinking some good microbrew....

 

[HailHydra]

If another offers more I wish him and his family all the best. 12 maybe 13 not a penny more.

He's worth $15 mill. The question is if he's worth 18, 19 mill - he's gonna be getting heavy offers this free agency.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

With only around $15 mil cap space, the Pats don’t have much room, but with a few retirements to open things up, there might be a chance of a team-friendly extension. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what BB thinks of him.

 

[ahmed]

These Flowers threads are baffling to me. Either people are not up to date with contracts in the NFL or completely underestimate how good he is.

If $15MM is all it takes, Pats will pay that in a heartbeat. He is probably getting $17/18mm a year.

 

[Chevrolet]

Flowers is the 6th ranked FA on NFL.com
There are 9 teams with over 50 million in cap space to spend and 14 with over 36 million.
Flowers is not just simply viewed as an edge pass rusher and sack totals do not accurately reflect what he brings to the table.

Unfortunately....
There is little doubt taht he will get an astronomical offer from one of the above mentioned teams of at least 17 million/year and it would not surprise me if it were the Jets.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Trey has to do what is best for him and his family.

Getting a third round comp pick for him is better than nothing.

 

[PatsFan2]

You’re really overrating the sack production of the highly paid edge rushers. Olivier Vernon, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Calais Campbell have TWO 12 sack seasons between them in their combined 33 NFL seasons. All four are on long term deals averaging at least $15 million a year.

It's going to come down to how BB feels about Trey Flowers in the end. BB is known to pay certain Guys ie... Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore showed in Buffalo then here that he's Elite. In my heart I don't think Trey is a Elite player. Not reading too much into it but take it for what it's worth. Flowers turned down a initial offer.

 

[NSPF]

He is a beast, the defense struggled big time when he was out. He's an underrated player who doesn't get the attention he deserves. That said, there's a limit to every player's values, and there's probably a team willing to overpay him. Winning in this league is about finding diamonds in the rough. Once they've been polished and everyone knows their value, it's on to the next one.

 

[PatsFan2]

I’ll be disappointed if we don’t match 14-15.

I will say this and don't know if it matters but it's said Hightower's last contract was a "Steal". Other guys in Hightowers contact year got significantly more. My question: is Flowers a better player than Hightower?? Hightower was also a force in the SB similar to how he played in that SB against Atlanta. The more I think about it is the more I see Flowers walking . I don't see them giving him more than 13Mill to stay here.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

IF Flowers is the best DE on the market this have to be one of the weakest FA DE markets in years. Well kinda similar to last years with Adrian Clayborn. I would caution buyer beware. Yes Flowers have age on his side but he has never had a double digit sack season or seasons. And I don't want to hear sacks are overrated.

Sacks are overrated, pressures are just good if you believe BB. Not sure if you believe in the BB philosophy.

 

[Ivan]

IF Flowers is the best DE on the market this have to be one of the weakest FA DE markets in years. Well kinda similar to last years with Adrian Clayborn. I would caution buyer beware. Yes Flowers have age on his side but he has never had a double digit sack season or seasons. And I don't want to hear sacks are overrated.

If you think Flowers and Clayborn are comparable then you have no business discussing this, because you don’t know what the hell you are talking about. Flowers was their best defensive player while Clayborn was a healthy scratch?

 

[thecore762]

IMO defense helped us big time win the games in the playoffs, it’s so hard these days to find a stud pass rusher, look at the year when we didn’t have good pass rush, the eagles destroyed us because we couldn’t get to Foles.
I don’t want to see something like that happening again, we need to lock Flowers up, you can’t keep building a team from the ground up every year, sure we got bunch of picks, but Flowers has the it factor and makes everyone around him better.

Trent Brown has been solid, but if we get Wynn back I think we going to be fine.
Scar can make the o-line work, but it’s truly hard to get a guy that has the motor to play the whole game and able to generate pressure. If we can consistently generate pressure with the front 4 then we do not need to be stacked in the back.

There aren’t many pass rushers in the FA that you can get, and in the draft it will take a while to develop someone. Flowers is only 25 and already playing like a top 5 defensive end.

Just my opinion, it would be a big mistake letting him go.

You can’t find premier rushers at a decent price point in this league anymore. Time for BB to open up the wallet and go for it.