Trey Flowers goes to the Lions

[CheekyDave]

Winning 6 Superbowls puts us all in a sanguine mood. Cannot imagine any other teams fanbase being so OK with a great player leaving and wishing him well.
Guess it because this formula WORKS for the Pats, Pats werent giving him 17 Mill a year, but/and he was a hard worker and great performer, so best to you Trey Flowers, next man up!

 

[patfanken]

Glad we didn't pay him that he's not a consistent game changer: solid hard working player though cheers.

Now I wouldn't have paid him that much either, however he WAS a consistent game changer if you define game changer something other than just getting sacks.

He was CONSISTENTLY one the field (over 80% of the defensive snaps, IIRC)

He was CONSISTENTLY one of the best run defenders the Pats had.

He CONSISTENTLY put pressure on the QB game in and game out, (IIRC among the top 5 DE's in QB pressures)

He CONSISTENTLY got better every year he was here

He was CONSISTENTLY a great teammate and mentor in the lockerroom who will be missed.

Unfortunately, the Pats have had success for close to 20 years by abiding to the maxim of having the best bottom third of the roster in the league, and you can't do that by giving top of the market deals to either Brown or Flowers

It will be interesting to see what the Pats do now. I think they can up grade Claybourn with a middle of market signing other than Houston. Besides they will hope that Wise, River, etc will make a leap just like Flowers did.

 

[long distance]

It will be interesting to see what the Pats do now. I think they can up grade Claybourn with a middle of market signing other than Houston. Besides they will hope that Wise, River, etc will make a leap just like Flowers did.

For the moment i have Keionta Davis stepping in Flowers' shoes like he did at the beginning of last season. Similar size style player . hopefully he can improve in his second year on the team and step up. Plenty of options in the draft as well so should be good competition regardless..

 

[PatsFan2]

Id be surprised if Clayborn is on the team come September. He can possibly be a minor trade asset later in offseason. Feels like a stand-in until most edge cards play out..

That's unless Derek Rivers make that Third year jump not saying it can't happen but will not be holding breath.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Wait until after all the big, crazy contracts eat up salary cap space of the other teams and then pick up some undervalued free agents. Trade or draft for any areas of need.

This seems to be the most sensible approach when you have to manage a salary cap.

 

[rochrist]

Really sad to see him go. It sucks to see a player you drafted develop into a great player and you can't find a way to sign him long term. Trey was model pro and fit everything the Pats do on and off the field. But the money has got awful steep awful quickly. I can't blame Bill for passing. This is how he does things and I'll back it.

The only way they can keep guys like that is doing early extensions with them and only some of them are amenable to that.

 

[patfanken]

Will there be any good pass rushers in this years draft to be found in the 2nd and 3rd round?

That is what they are saying. Good prospects through to the top of the 4th round. Though the "elite" prospects will be gone by the middle of the first round.

BTW- no one was jumping up and down when Trey Flower's name was called in the 4th round. To most of us he was another no name pick that we hoped would be good enough to make the team and in a few years be a rotational contributor on defense and ST's

IIRC more people were excited about Rivers than Flowers when they were drafted. Flowers is great example that one of the the most important ability a player can have is the ability to improve every year AFTER they come into the league. Trey did that and look at the results. Julian was an overnight success 4 years in the making. Brady STILL talks about improving his game 20 years after the fact.

 

[HailHydra]

I feel like getting Justin Houston would be perfectly fine if we get him under $12 mill. HOWEVER, I would much rather have Ndamukong Suh - interior pressure is more valuable to me than edge rush.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Well, I will be the first to admit I was wrong on what the value would be for Trey Flowers before the off season.

However, I did say recently that since all the other top DE’s were tagged that Flowers would be the best DE by default.

While he obviously made a very good choice taking the amount of money the Lions offered him, I think it’s a terrible landing spot for him. I don’t think he will crack 10 sacks in Patricia’s scheme and that’s a lot of money to tie up into one player who will probably hover around 6 to 7 sacks every year.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I feel like getting Justin Houston would be perfectly fine if we get him under $12 mill. HOWEVER, I would much rather have Ndamukong Suh - interior pressure is more valuable to me than edge rush.

Does Suh even provide that much consistent pressure inside?

 

[luuked]

I don’t think he will crack 10 sacks in Patricia’s scheme and that’s a lot of money to tie up into one player who will probably hover around 6 to 7 sacks every year.

If you still care about sacks you are looking at it wrong. You have to look at the full picture. Flowers is not a classic pass rusher but closer to someone like Clowney (actually better) who can affect plays from anywhere on the line.

 

[102 Pat]

Looking forward to the first post in the GDT after the defense gives up a first down:

"Dis season is over, Bill the GM killed Bill the Coach buy not resigning Flowers"

 

[rochrist]

I feel like getting Justin Houston would be perfectly fine if we get him under $12 mill. HOWEVER, I would much rather have Ndamukong Suh - interior pressure is more valuable to me than edge rush.

Figures Hydra would want to sign Suh!

 

[luuked]

Looking forward to the first post in the GDT after the defense gives up a first down:

"Dis season is over, Bill the GM killed Bill the Coach buy not resigning Flowers"

There should be a price for the first person that calls the season over unironically.

 

[HailHydra]

Does Suh even provide that much consistent pressure inside?

Yes he does. He did last season with the Rams at least. He would be the best DT we've had in years.

 

[nabwong]

Good that he's going to NFC north. Looking forward to seeing the "Greatest QB of all time" get pounded twice a season.

 

[rochrist]

Lions just grabbed Jesse James too. That's going to be a drastically improved team this year.

 

[HailHydra]

Lions just grabbed Jesse James too. That's going to be a drastically improved team this year.

Matt Stafford will always be a problem though.

 

[patfanken]

I feel like getting Justin Houston would be perfectly fine if we get him under $12 mill. HOWEVER, I would much rather have Ndamukong Suh - interior pressure is more valuable to me than edge rush.

I'd LOVE to have a Suh's talent on this team, but Suh is the perfect example of the kind of player who shouldn't come to NE. He wouldn't do well in this culture.

 

[BradyFTW!]

That's a bummer. Was still holding out hope that we might keep him, but at the same time it just wasn't conducive to good roster construction at that price.

Good for him though, happy he got paid.