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It took longer than fans might’ve wanted, but the Cincinnati Bengals did end up getting defensive back Tre Flowers back in free agency.
And besides Flowers’ versatile skill set that helped during the Super Bowl run, Bengals coaches needed one look at the 2022 schedule to know they needed him back.
Case in point, the Bengals will see major names at tight end next season like Mark Andrews (twice), Kyle Pitts, Mike Gesicki, Travis Kelce, Hunter Henry and potentially Rob Gronkowski, now that his desire to play with Joe Burrow was trumped by Tom Brady’s return.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that the big bonus in getting Flowers back is that he’ll actually be around for the entire season:
“Once again, he’ll be here at the beginning of the season, which will help us…I know what he can do. Certainly he’s carved out a heck of a role for all the tight ends we have to cover. Certainly he’s a guy we thought we could keep adding to his plate. He’s handled all of it well because he works so hard at it.”
Flowers came over late last year and had a big impact right away as a matchup asset who tailed opposing tight ends, a position that has annually given the team issues for what feels like a decade-plus.
Given that Flowers can do that, line up at corner or even line up at safety, his re-signing could quietly end up being one of the bigger moves of the offseason for the Bengals.
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