The Seattle Seahawks traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange for cornerback Quinton Dunbar and this could set up a position battle with fellow CB Tre Flowers.
In 2019, Dunbar had the second-best grade among cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus (87.6) and is only 27 years old and could be in the prime of his career. He may be entering the final year of his contract, but Seattle could certainly use his services for the 2020 season, as general manager John Schneider has stressed about improving the secondary.
Flowers has had an up-and-down career in his two years in the NFL and must improve drastically to have a good chance of being on the roster beyond the next two seasons. If Flowers feels the pressure to contribute, he could either feel extra motivation to improve or wilt under the expectations. The 2020 season is do-or-die for him and Dunbar only adds to the pressure.
This is not to say that Dunbar is guaranteed to perform better than Flowers next season, but the former has more experience and a better track record. Flowers is also coming off a less-than-stellar postseason in which he gave up numerous big plays, particularly in the divisional round against the Packers.
No matter how Dunbar performs for the Seahawks, 2020 will be a big year for Flowers and he must rise to the challenge.
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