Fins trade OG Flowers back to WFT, sources say

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms to trade starting left guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team in a deal that includes a swap of late-round NFL draft picks, sources confirmed to ESPN.

The Dolphins will receive the first of Washington’s two seventh-round picks (244th overall) with Miami sending the second of its two seventh-round picks (258th overall) to Washington.

It’s a return to Washington for Flowers, who revived his career there in 2019 when he moved from offensive tackle to guard. He then signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Miami last offseason. He had an up-and-down first season.

To make his trade to Washington from Miami official, Flowers restructured his contract whereby the Dolphins will pay $6 million in a signing bonus and Washington will pay a $3 million base salary, giving Flowers $9 million fully guaranteed this season, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

After paying Flowers a $6 million signing bonus, the Dolphins will save $3 million in guaranteed salary and $2 million in cap space.

The Dolphins are entertaining the idea of moving 2020 second-round pick Robert Hunt from starting right tackle to guard and signing a right tackle in free agency, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Solomon Kindley, the Dolphins’ 2020 fourth-round pick, received significant playing time as a rookie and returns as a capable starting guard option along with recent free-agent signing D.J. Fluker.

Playmaker should still be a top priority for the Dolphins’ first pick (No. 6 overall), but the Flowers deal raises the possibility that Miami uses one or more of its four top-50 picks in this year’s draft on the offensive line.

The Dolphins are now set to move on from four of their top 2020 free-agent signings — linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson, Flowers and running back Jordan Howard — in one season or less. It’s a sign of the dangers of free agency, though good contract setups prevent significant dead cap on their books.

Flowers, 27, should fill Washington’s need for another starting-caliber guard, and he returns to an offensive line he had success with in 2019.

Flowers moved to guard after signing with Washington in 2019 and started all 16 games. He’s not guaranteed a starting job upon his return. Instead, he will compete with veteran Wes Schweitzer and second-year player Saahdiq Charles for the left guard job. Charles can also play left tackle if Washington doesn’t find a starter there in the draft.

Washington also wanted more depth, knowing that right guard Brandon Scherff has not played all 16 games in a season since 2016. He has missed a combined 16 games the past three seasons. Scherff also is playing for a second year on the franchise tag and could leave via free agency after the 2021 season.

NFL Network first reported news of the trade.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.