I think we all knew it was possible, but until it actually happened, I don’t think any of us expected it to become a reality.
No, I’m not talking about the coronavirus and it’s rapid spread across the United States; rather I’m talking about Washington Redskins left guard Ereck Flowers and his departure from the team in free agency.
Flowers agreed to terms on a 3-year, $30 million deal with the Miami Dolphins that will guarantee him over $19 million. For a former first-round pick who was labeled a bust and cast off by the New York Giants just over a year ago, that is an inspiring comeback story. You have to feel great for Flowers, who saw his career saved by a stop in Washington and a move from left tackle to left guard.
But now that Flowers is gone, what are the Redskins to do at the left guard position? They placed the franchise tag on right guard Brandon Scherff over the weekend, so that side of the line is set with Morgan Moses at RT and Chase Roullier at C. But the left side of the line is a major question mark, with LT Trent Williams’ situation always up in the air.
Enter Wes Martin, a second-year guard who showed promise in his rookie season.
Martin was drafted by the Redskins in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, and he played in nine games last year, starting in five of them. During his time starting at RG for an injured Scherff, Martin looked to be highly-competent at the position and provided a spark on the right side of the line. Now, he will likely be asked to move positions, but that shouldn’t be detrimental to a young dog capable of learning new tricks.
Would it have been nice to keep Flowers in Washington on an extension that paid him somewhere between $6-8 million per season? Of course. But the market demanded that he get some nice money from a team willing to pay him, and now he’s headed back home to Florida. As for the future in Washington, Martin will do just fine taking over at the LG spot.
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