Cincinnati Bengals trade Marquis Flowers to New England Patriots

He will join Gronk in Foxborough

The New England Patriots will now have two Arizona Wildcats on their roster to open the season, as they have traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Marquis Flowers.

Flowers was drafted in the sixth round, No. 212 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Bengals. He signed a four-year, $2.3 million contract as a rookie, and is entering the final year in his contract. It’s nice because he is due to make $690,000 in 2017.

Flowers has primarily been used on special teams in the NFL.

He played in all 16 games as a rookie and recorded eight tackles. He missed all of the 2015 season due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason. In 2016, he came back to his role on special teams and recorded seven tackles.

This move makes sense for both parties. Flowers was on the bubble and was on the outside looking in to make Cincinnati’s roster. The trade gives the Bengals a seventh-round pick instead of cutting him.

For the Patriots, it gives them a special teamer that would have been picked up on the waivers before the Patriots even had a chance to snag him.

Prior to a matchup with the Bengals, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick recognized Flowers in his assessment of the Bengals’ special teams.

“They have a good group of core players as well. Certainly (Vinny) Rey is one of the top linebackers in the league," Belichick said. "They have a good group there with Flowers and (Clayton) Fejedelem.”

The change of scenery should give the 6-foot-3, 245 pound linebacker a fresh start, especially being on arguably the most well-run franchise in the NFL. The Patriots are notorious for turning borderline players in the NFL starters.

Flowers played in a total of 50 games at Arizona from 2010-2013, where he started as a safety and moved down to linebacker. He has a career total of 273 tackles (27.5 for loss), seven sacks and five interceptions.

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