Redskins coach Bill Callahan excited about Ereck Flowers’ progress

It hasn’t been a season without struggles. But Redskins starting left guard Ereck Flowers has fared far better than most expected him to, and the coaches are the first to notice.

The signing of Ereck Flowers, regarded across the entirety of his New York Giants tenure as a first-round bust, was met by swift criticism by national and local media personalities alike. The Washington Redskins signed Flowers to a one-year deal worth up to $4 million in March, and in doing so, they negated a projected late-round compensatory pick in 2019.

A tackle throughout his time in New York, the Redskins, and then-offensive line coach Bill Callahan, opted to try something new with the 6-foot-6 behemoth: What if they switched him to offensive guard?

Early reports in training camp weren’t promising, and early on in preseason, Flowers had his growing pains at his new position. But as the regular season has moved forward, Flowers has only gotten better. The penalties have decreased, and each week, Flowers’ physicality on the interior stands out.

Bill Callahan, now the head coach of the Redskins after Jay Gruden’s firing ahead of Week 6, spoke about Flowers and his progression in his press conference earlier today. Here’s what he had to say about the 25-year old, per ESPN’s John Keim:

“He’s come a long way in a short period of time. He could be one of the best guards in the league.”

Perhaps the latter assertion from Callahan is a bit of a stretch, but there’s no doubting the development Flowers has undergone in Washington. He was a replacement-level starter at best, and a turnstile at worst, with the Giants. But in the nation’s capital, he’s embarked on a career rejuvenation, and as he spends more time at guard, one can only expect he’ll keep shoring up his game.

A possible reason for Flowers’ struggles early on? There are several. Learning a new scheme always comes with certain negative byproducts, and Flowers did have to spend some time at tackle in training camp, when the team was caught off guard by Trent Williams’ absence. Flowers would promptly be moved to guard, and without the training camp reps at that position, he needed some time to get comfortable.

Now that he’s found his groove, Flowers is blossoming to heights never before reached in his young career. Maybe Callahan is jumping the gun by saying that Flowers is one of the league’s best guards. But if he’s referring to Flowers’ visible upside, as opposed to his current state, there’s no reason to disagree with him. In time, Ereck Flowers could prove to be Washington’s long-term answer at the dreaded left guard position. A satisfying conclusion, in part because no one expected it.