The Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms to exchange beginning left guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team in an deal that includes a swap of late-round NFL draft picks, sources affirmed to ESPN.
The Dolphins will get the first of Washington’s two seventh-round picks (244th generally) with Miami sending the second of its two seventh-round picks (258th by and large) to Washington.
It’s a re-visitation of Washington for Flowers, who revived his career there in 2019 when he moved from offensive tackle to guard. He at that point signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Miami last offseason. He had an all over first season.
To make his exchange to Washington from Miami official, Flowers restructured his contract whereby the Dolphins will pay $6 million in a signing bonus and Washington will pay a $3 million base salary, giving Flowers $9 million completely guaranteed this season, specialist Drew Rosenhaus revealed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In the wake of paying Flowers a $6 million signing bonus, the Dolphins will save $3 million in ensured pay and $2 million in cap space.
The Dolphins are entertaining the idea of moving 2020 second-round pick Robert Hunt from beginning right tackle to guard and signing a right tackle in free agency, sources revealed to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Solomon Kindley, the Dolphins’ 2020 fourth-round pick, gotten critical playing time as a rookie and returns as a capable beginning guard option alongside along with recent free-agent signing D.J. Fluker.
Playmaker should in any case be a main concern for the Dolphins’ first pick (No. 6 generally), however the Flowers bargain raises the likelihood that Miami utilizes at least one of its four top-50 picks in the this year’s draft on the offensive line.
The Dolphins are currently set to proceed onward from four of their top 2020 free-agent signings – linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson, Flowers and running back Jordan Howard – in one season or less. It’s an sign of the dangers of free agency, however great contract setups prevent significant dead cap on their books.
Flowers, 27, should fill Washington’s need for another starting-caliber guard, and he gets back to a offensive line he had success with in 2019.
Flowers moved to guard after signing with Washington in 2019 and began every one of the 16 games. He’s not guaranteed a beginning position upon his return. All things being equal, he will rival veteran Wes Schweitzer and second-year player Saahdiq Charles for the left guard work. Charles can likewise play left tackle if Washington doesn’t discover a starter there in the draft.
Washington additionally needed more profundity, realizing that right guard Brandon Scherff has not played every one of the 16 games in a season since 2016. He has missed a consolidated 16 games the previous three seasons. Scherff likewise is playing for a second year on the franchise tag and could leave by means of free office after the 2021 season.
NFL Network first reported news of the trade.