Grading the Trey Flowers signing for the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have reportedly agreed to a deal with pass-rusher Trey Flowers in 2019 NFL free agency, but how good of a deal is it for the Lions?
Entering the 2019 offseason, it was clear that the Detroit Lions defense would be undergoing a transition under second-year head coach Matt Patricia. After slapping Ezekiel Ansah with the franchise tag last year, they entered 2019 ready to move on from him. Thus, they seriously needed to address their pass rush. Trey Flowers will do just that.
As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions will sign the former Patriots defensive end to a five-year deal. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added to that, saying that the deal will be worth more than $16-17 million annually.
Flowers is arguably the top pass-rusher set to hit the market in 2019 NFL free agency. Given that, the Lions’ clear need in that area and the fact that Patricia has a familiarity with Patriots players given his time as defensive coordinator in New England, all the stars aligned for this deal to transpire. But what kind of grade does it receive?
Detroit Lions. TREY FLOWERS. A-. . DE
Yes, this is an expensive deal that the Lions are signing Flowers to. However, with what we know about the amount that he’ll be paid, they’re signing an elite edge defender to less than what they’d pay a player on the franchise tag. Furthermore, they’re also getting a young player (turns just 26 years old in August) who could be getting better as he hits his prime.
Though Flowers registered just 7.5 sacks in 2018 with New England, he was far more impactful than that would indicate. According to Pro Football Focus’ free agency profile, Flowers graded out as the third-best edge defender in the NFL last season with a grade of 90.4. Moreover, his three-year grade is a fantastic 88.5 over that span.
If that weren’t enough, Flowers is a rare edge talent that is both impactful in his pass rush and against the run. While the run game is less important in the modern NFL, beefing up the Lions in that area where they struggled mightily in recent seasons will be massively important for them to improve.
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Ultimately, signing Flowers is a titanic move for the Lions that should help their defense make great strides. While people can make “Detroit Patriots” jokes — and they will — this is a move that puts the Detroit defense in a far better position than signing any other edge defender would have, while also opening up other options in the draft and the rest of free agency.
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