Giants to release Ereck Flowers if not traded by 4PM Tuesday

In a move many believed was long overdue, the New York Giants are prepared to move on from much maligned offensive tackle Ereck Flowers.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Flowers will be released if he is not traded by 4:00 PM EDT Tuesday. A trade seems unlikely as any team who acquires Flowers will be on the hook for the remaining $1,692,368 he is owed for the rest of the season.

Flowers was selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Miami (FL). He started 46 games at left tackle in his first three seasons but struggled mightily on the field and in the locker room.

In addition to the financial ramifications, teams may be reluctant to trade for Flowers because of his lengthy history of below average play for someone of his draft position.

The Giants first tried to move Flowers after they acquired free agent left tackle Nate Solder. He was upset the team signed Solder essentially to take his spot. Flowers was reportedly so angry about the situation that he skipped parts of the Giants’ voluntary minicamp this spring.

After there were no takers, the team decided to move him to the right tackle position. He started the first two weeks of this season with bad games against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 and Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. He was benched by head coach Pat Shurmur in favor of Chad Wheeler, a second-year player who signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent, in Week 3 against the Houston Texans.

“I think it’s just kind of run its course,” Shurmur said. “We appreciate Ereck’s efforts, and we just wish him the best. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for a person, and we’re just hopeful he can go out and continue to have a good career.”

– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage and covers the NFL, the New York Giants, and the NBA. Please like and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.