Ereck Flowers could get $10 million per year in free agency, Redskins will have competition to re-sign him

Estimates for Ereck Flowers value on the open market have been all over the place since the 2019 season ended. Flowers was a certified bust after the Top-10 pick flamed out as an offensive tackled with the New York Giants. The Redskins, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan saw an opportunity with Flowers that most people didn’t. They signed him to a 1-year deal worth up to $4 million, and wanted to see what him move inside to guard.

That gamble paid off, after a bumpy start when Flowers was forced to return to tackle in training camp due to injuries. Flowers played the most offensive snaps for the season, and proved that he could play the position at the NFL level. The Redskins have said they are interested in re-signing him to a long-term deal, but they have a new coaching staff in place that doesn’t include Bill Callahan who is now with the Cleveland Browns.

People have estimated Flowers value in free agency anywhere from $6m/year to $9m/year, but those numbers could be low according to Mike Garofolo. He expects a robust market for Flowers, and thinks he could command up to $10m/year. That might put the Redskins out of the running for their starting LG. They just placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on right guard Brandon Scherff which is expected to cost ~$14 million this year.

The Redskins drafted Wes Martin in the 4th round last year, and he started 5 games during his rookie season. If Flowers signs somewhere else, and the Redskins don’t sign a starting-caliber free agent, Martin would have a very good chance of taking over the starting LG spot.