MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins have agreed to phrases to commerce beginning left guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team in a deal that features a swap of late-round NFL draft picks, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Dolphins will obtain the primary of Washington’s two seventh-round picks (244th total) with Miami sending the second of its two seventh-round picks (258th total) to Washington.
It is a return to Washington for Flowers, who revived his profession there in 2019 when he moved from offensive sort out to protect. He then signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Miami final offseason. He had an up-and-down first season.
To make his commerce to Washington from Miami official, Flowers restructured his contract whereby the Dolphins pays $6 million in a signing bonus and Washington pays a $three million base wage, giving Flowers $9 million absolutely assured this season, agent Drew Rosenhaus instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After paying Flowers a $6 million signing bonus, the Dolphins will save $three million in assured wage and $2 million in cap house.
The Dolphins are entertaining the thought of shifting 2020 second-round choose Robert Hunt from beginning proper sort out to protect and signing a proper sort out in free company, sources instructed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Solomon Kindley, the Dolphins’ 2020 fourth-round choose, acquired vital enjoying time as a rookie and returns as a succesful beginning guard possibility together with current free-agent signing D.J. Fluker.
Playmaker ought to nonetheless be a prime precedence for the Dolphins’ first choose (No. 6 total), however the Flowers deal raises the likelihood that Miami makes use of a number of of its 4 top-50 picks on this 12 months’s draft on the offensive line.
The Dolphins at the moment are set to maneuver on from 4 of their prime 2020 free-agent signings — linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson, Flowers and operating again Jordan Howard — in a single season or much less. It is a signal of the risks of free company, although good contract setups stop vital lifeless cap on their books.
Flowers, 27, ought to fill Washington’s want for an additional starting-caliber guard, and he returns to an offensive line he had success with in 2019.
Flowers moved to protect after signing with Washington in 2019 and began all 16 video games. He isn’t assured a beginning job upon his return. As a substitute, he’ll compete with veteran Wes Schweitzer and second-year participant Saahdiq Charles for the left guard job. Charles may also play left sort out if Washington would not discover a starter there within the draft.
Washington additionally wished extra depth, understanding that proper guard Brandon Scherff has not performed all 16 video games in a season since 2016. He has missed a mixed 16 video games the previous three seasons. Scherff is also enjoying for a second 12 months on the franchise tag and will go away through free company after the 2021 season.
NFL Community first reported information of the commerce.
ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.