Trey Flowers named an instant impact NFL free agent

By MAX DEMARA 20 hours ago

Trey Flowers was signed by the Detroit Lions to come in and dominate from the jump, and the good news is, that's exactly what he could be expected to do given his high profile in the league. Flowers is getting a ton of respect from the media in the lead up to 2019, and many are calling him an instant impact type free agent for Detroit.

In a Bleacher Report piece by Maurice Moton, the free agents expected to make the biggest impact were explored, and when it came to the Lions, Flowers was an easy choice to make given what he can do on the field for Matt Patricia's defense.

Here's a look at what Moton said about why that's the case:

"Unlike Ford in San Francisco and Smith in Green Bay, defensive end Trey Flowers will be reuniting with a former play-caller in his new destination. Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia served as Flowers' defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots and guided him through two strong seasons between 2016-17.

Under Patricia, Flowers logged 13.5 sacks. He also moved inside to set the edge against the run, and he'll likely take on similar responsibilities in Detroit. Most importantly, the 25-year-old steps into the lineup to replace Ezekiel Ansah, whose 2018 season ended prematurely after re-injuring the same shoulder that required surgery after his rookie year. Ansah remains available on the free-agent market.

Last season, the Lions run defense ranked 10th in the league; Flowers' toughness and ability to wrap up ball-carriers on the ends should further push this unit to the top in yards allowed on the ground.

Flowers' familiarity with Patricia's system should help him become an immediate high-end contributor in Detroit. Because of his age, the fourth-year pro may not have hit his ceiling yet."

Indeed that is the hope for the Lions, and it's encouraging that so many think Flowers can make such a large impact for the team quickly.

Flowers, 25, was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Arkansas. He essentially redshirted his rookie season, but has quickly evolved into one of the more impactful pass rushers for the Patriots. With Flowers, the Patriots should be able to stabilize that pass rush as the defensive end was able to total 6.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits and 24 pressures last season. He's also led the team in sacks both in 2016 and 2017, while proving he can also come up in the clutch as evidence of his two and a half sacks in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons.

Speaking in a clip from the Lions, Flowers explains that he had been to Detroit before, and not merely for away games when he was playing with the New England Patriots through the last few years.

"It's a pretty nice city from what I've heard," Flowers says in a video to DetroitLions.com reporter Tori Petry with a smile. "Actually, I've been here a few times. My grandmother used to live up here, so I came to visit her a few times. My mom's got a lot of family here, so I'm excited to really be a resident here and see what it's about."

It wasn't merely blood family which drove Flowers to consider Detroit, but the family atmosphere in the Detroit locker room, too. Matt Patricia is running the show in Detroit now as the head coach, and that's a guy Flowers has a great deal of respect for. In the end, it made the choice of weighing Detroit's offer with his agent a lot easier this past week when the different opportunities presented themselves across the league.

"I knew Matty P was here, he's a guy who brought me into New England and developed me there, so that's when I kind of got the idea that it might be cool to be a Detroit Lion," he said.

Specifically, it's clear that Flowers has a ton of respect for Patricia not just as a coach but as a man. As he said, there is so much more than meets the eye about the Lions' boss.

"He's a player's coach. He's a coach that's going to get a lot out of you. He's going to get the highest potential. He demands high standards of excellence," Flowers said. "Being in that building with him with the Patriots, just seeing how week in and week out he comes into the meeting rooms and just understanding that, you might have had a good play, but he needs you to have a great play. Then he'll talk to you about your personal life, get around to asking things about your family. He's an all around good guy and great coach."

With that confidence, expect Flowers to fit in well for the Lions and perhaps make a fast impact.