Former Lion Trey Flowers gets workout with AFC East team

Trey Flowers is another former Detroit Lion who has not signed anywhere yet, but a workout with a team is a sign that may change.

Trey Flowers was an obvious looming cap casualty for the Detroit Lions going into this offseason, and in March the team indeed let him go. Even with an injury related decline over his last two seasons in Detroit, as he played in a total of 14 games with 3.5 sacks, it was easy to assume he’d sign somewhere else fairly quickly.

But amid some dot-connecting to teams who could have interest, Flowers has not even had a visit or a workout that’s been known or reported. Recovery from the knee injury that landed him on IR last season could be a factor, but as with another former Lion asking price could be keeping Flowers from being signed.

On Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Flowers will have a workout with the Miami Dolphins. The report was written in present tense, insinuating it was happening right then.

Trey Flowers set to return to the AFC East?

Before signing his big free agent contract with the Lions in 2019, Flower spent his first four seasons with the New England Patriots. After barely playing as a rookie in 2015, he had 21 sacks and 59 quarterback hits over the following three seasons. The Patriots won two Super Bowls over that stretch, so Flowers would bring that experience to a new team.

As Pelissero noted in his report, Flowers just turned 29 on Aug. 16. So he should have something left in the tank.

The most obvious tie to Miami for Flowers, former head coach (and former Patriots defensive coordinator) Brian Flores, is of course gone. But defensive coordinator Josh Boyer remains on new head coach Mike McDaniel’s staff, and he was New England’s cornerbacks coach when Flowers was there.

At this point, Flowers will have to take whatever opportunities he can get to workout and possibly sign. Final cuts for teams next week may open up an opportunity or two, but the Dolphins seem like a good fit and if they want him he shouldn’t waste any time to sign.