Flowers latest 2020 FA out the door

The trade of guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team the day before the start of the 2021 NFL draft was interesting in a couple of ways.

- ALAIN POUPART

The first thing that stands out is how little the Dolphins got in exchange for a former first-round pick who has averaged 14 starts in six NFL seasons: a move up 14 spots in the seventh round of the 2021 draft.

Then there was the revelation that the Dolphins would give Flowers a $6 million bonus on his way out the door, reducing their 2021 cap savings to a mere $2 million.

Lastly, it was the latest example in the Dolphins moving on quickly from a member of their 2020 free agent class.

Flowers became the sixth of the 11 unrestricted free agents signed last offseason already gone from the team, as he joined linebacker Kyle Van Noy, center Ted Karras, running back Jordan Howard, linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hil and linebacker Shaq Lawson out the door.

A seventh member of that class, safety Kavon Frazier, was an unrestricted free agent again this spring after signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins but remained without a team as of May 17.

The only four who remain on the roster are cornerback Byron Jones, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, safety Clayton Fejedelem and linebacker Elandon Roberts.

The first to go was Howard, mercifully released after five games played, three starts and a paltry 1.2-yard rushing average.

Two more — Karras and Grugier-Hill — left as unrestricted free agents after signing one-year deals to join the Dolphins last offseason, Karras returning to the New England Patriots.

And then there were the two surprise moves, the Dolphins first releasing Van Noy one year into a four-year contract and then trading Lawson to the Houston Texans in a deal that brought in linebacker Benardrick McKinney.