Currently 88 players strong, the Redskins 2019 roster will enter its final stage of formation later this year.
Each year, of the 88 to 90 players that enter the summer months on the team, a sizable portion, often upwards of 40 players, can be considered safe in the hunt for roster spots. The other 13, or so, are tasked with showing off their best traits to the Washington Redskins, in order to curry favor and win extended jobs.
The choice is never easy for teams whittling down their 90-man roster, and promising players are always let go. Sometimes, it’s with the promise of a potential practice squad slot. Other times, nothing is promised at all, save for uncertainty.
Thus, capitalizing on the limited opportunity provided in the offseason is imperative for the unheralded players that filter in and out every offseason. One wasted rep can be the difference between a second chance and no chance at all, and in 2019, the fight for a spot on the Redskins roster will be as close as it’s always been.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the course of the past two years, it’s to never count an Unheralded Player out. To start our series in 2019, let’s take a closer look at linebacker Marquis Flowers.
Who is Marquis Flowers?
While some Unheralded Players find themselves at the beginning of their NFL journeys, Marquis Flowers has been around the league for some time. Now, his goal is to stay, and further prolong his rare opportunity.
Flowers’ opportunity began at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona, where he was a four-star recruit, profiling as a 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety. The No. 1 rated recruit in his home state, Flowers chose to play for his hometown Arizona Wildcats, and from 2010 to 2013, he was a member of the Wildcats.
From 2011 to 2013, Flowers was a starter, and by 2012, he’d added enough weight to move permanently to linebacker, a position at which he better used his combination of speed and size. Following the 2013 season, he entered the 2014 NFL Draft.
Flowers’ resume wasn’t good enough to warrant a Day 2 pick, but his wait would end on Day 3. The Cincinnati Bengals selected Flowers in the sixth round, and he would go on to play all sixteen games in his rookie season, contributing as a special teams player and a depth defender.
Flowers’ career in Cincinnati would ultimately be derailed by injuries, and he was traded in August of 2017 to the New England Patriots. There, he received an uptick in playing time, and he performed well enough to earn a one-year renewal on his contract with the Patriots in March of 2018. Later that year, however, he would be cut, then signed by Patriots acolyte Matt Patricia in Detroit. He stayed in Detroit for a month before he was released, and was then left jobless, until the Redskins signed him in late December.
Player Breakdown
Marquis Flowers has quite a bit of mileage for an Unheralded Player. A 2014 draft pick, Flowers is 27 years old, and he’s carved out a career as a special teams player first and a defensive contributor second. At 27, it’s safe to say that Flowers has reached his peak, in terms of development, but as long as there’s still potential there, it’s worth mentioning.
The potential with Flowers comes with his athleticism. At his pro day years ago, per NFL.com, Flowers, at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, logged a 4.51 40-yard dash and a 37.5-inch vertical jump, showcasing solid speed for his size and impressive explosiveness. Flowers speed and length allows him to make plays that players with pedestrian measurables can’t.
That said, putting it all together is something Flowers has never been able to do. NFL.com states that his work ethic, coming out of college, was inconsistent, as was his on-field focus, and he also lacked the physicality expected from a player with a frame upwards of 230 pounds.
For the Redskins, Flowers would project predictably as a special teams player, but he has the athletic traits necessary to potentially contribute at inside linebacker. It all depends on his mental game, and how he’s developed in that department. If the Patriots weren’t willing to keep him around, despite their lingering need for linebacker depth, then Flowers has obvious ground to gain back. He’s a player who’s always had high potential. But he’s a reminder of the challenges in reaching those heights.
How Marquis Flowers can make the Redskins roster
Marquis Flowers has a path to the Redskins roster, but it’s hazy. The Redskins already have two starters in Reuben Foster and Shaun Dion Hamilton, and they don’t appear keen on releasing Mason Foster this late in the offseason. Josh Harvey-Clemons should have a depth spot within reaching distance, and fifth-round rookie Cole Holcomb has the athleticism that Flowers has, without the mental concerns.
On paper, it appears as if the odds are stacked against Flowers. But with his blend of size and speed, Flowers could offer some versatility as a 3-4 linebacker. He has the size and speed to line up on the edge. Per Pro Football Focus, Flowers was very balanced in his usage with the Patriots. He spent 168 total snaps on the edge, and 169 total snaps in the box as an inside linebacker.
With the Redskins, Flowers’ utility as a player able to play multiple positions, while also possessing ingrained special teams experience, could bode well for his chances to lock down a roster spot. To do so, Flowers would likely have to convince the Redskins to keep five linebackers, as they aren’t likely to risk releasing Holcomb to the waiver wire. Flowers is fighting to create a spot, not to take one, and sometimes, that can be the harder alternative.
That said, Flowers has some promising tools, and if he’s able to hone his talents with new linebackers coach Rob Ryan, he could find a niche once again, like he did with New England in 2018. At this point in his career, he’s an Unheralded Player searching to extend his precious career. With the Redskins, he’s presented with an opportunity. One he needs to grab.