Speaker 1: Practice, Patrick throwing Parker touchdowner. What a win for this
Speaker 1: Miami Dolphin team. Wow ah right, Miami Indeed, and free
Speaker 1: agency is off to a rocking start as your Miami
Speaker 1: Dolphins have been busy bolstering the roster with quality signings,
Speaker 1: freak athletes, intelligent, instinctive scheme fits, and we've been doing
Speaker 1: it with clever cat management that keeps this roster in
Speaker 1: terrific financial shape going forward. What's up, Dolphins? Travis Wingfield
Speaker 1: with you here for a special series of the Drive
Speaker 1: Time Podcast, part of the official podcast network of your
Speaker 1: Miami Dolphins. We aren't making these shows with specific dates,
Speaker 1: but we are rolling out a new episode per player signing,
Speaker 1: and we'll start with the details of the player's career,
Speaker 1: taking a look at their counting stats, advanced metrics, film study,
Speaker 1: character testimonies, and a whole lot more. All of that
Speaker 1: before we hear from the newest Miami Dolphins and exclusive
Speaker 1: interviews with the Drivetime Podcast. So, without any further ado,
Speaker 1: let's get in to the free agency series here on
Speaker 1: the Drivetime Podcasts, and we're gonna cover later on a
Speaker 1: future Drivetime podcast the cumulative approach the Dolphins made this
Speaker 1: free agency period and what it means going into the draft,
Speaker 1: the financial ramifications, the cap structure. All that stuff we'll
Speaker 1: get to eventually. But today we're covering a local guy
Speaker 1: coming back home to play his football in Miami Gardens
Speaker 1: once more. The Miami Norland High graduate comes back home
Speaker 1: and will play his professional home games just one point
Speaker 1: six miles away from where he played his high school ball.
Speaker 1: Elite size when you're talking about Eric Flowers, formerly of Washington,
Speaker 1: drafted by the New York Giants out of the University
Speaker 1: of Miami, six ft six, three hundred and thirty five pounds,
Speaker 1: thirty four and a half inch arms and that frame
Speaker 1: aime paired with good athletic ability, made Flowers the ninth
Speaker 1: overall pick back. He carries that massive frame with relative ease,
Speaker 1: and that had scouts fawning over the potential of Flowers
Speaker 1: at the next level. Like he did in college, Flowers
Speaker 1: played both tackle positions for the Giants before a trade
Speaker 1: to Jacksonville, and his first rep as a guard came
Speaker 1: last season in Washington. This from Lancer Line of nfl
Speaker 1: dot Com quote big athletic frame carrying more than three
Speaker 1: twenty pounds with ease ascending maller in the run game,
Speaker 1: bender who is the low man off the snap and
Speaker 1: pops his hips into block to leverage defenders at the point.
Speaker 1: Combines hips, arm extension, and upper potty power to consistently
Speaker 1: turn his man when base blocking. Once he gets upper
Speaker 1: hand in the run game, he usually sustains and finishes
Speaker 1: secures combo blocks with a vengeance. Has feet to become
Speaker 1: a solid zone blocker and a mean and highly competitive player.
Speaker 1: Wants to dominate and get surly when beaten on a snap.
Speaker 1: Special foot quickness and pass portag should able to mirror
Speaker 1: and counter two way rushers or b gap blitzers. Us
Speaker 1: his quick feet to loosen hips and turn and recover
Speaker 1: when he's beaten. Now, flower strength as a run blocker
Speaker 1: and ability to uproot his man and get them turned
Speaker 1: is undeniable. He may be drafted as a tackle, but
Speaker 1: his best position could end up being a guard, where
Speaker 1: I would put a draft grade on him of six
Speaker 1: one two, and that grade reflects an immediate impact starter
Speaker 1: on zerlines grading system. Flowers brute strength was evident at
Speaker 1: the scouting combine when he paced all offensive lineman on
Speaker 1: the bench press with thirty seven reps of two and
Speaker 1: twenty five pounds. He pairs that strength with a desire
Speaker 1: to punish opposing defenses and a workman like attitude. Last year,
Speaker 1: after Washington's first victory under Bill Callahan, interim head coach
Speaker 1: there at Washington, Flowers had this to say, quote, we
Speaker 1: want to bring physicality. That's the mindset, putting your head
Speaker 1: down and just working and playing. A physical brand of
Speaker 1: football requires a requisite level of toughness, a trait that
Speaker 1: Flowers embodies. The former Miami Hurricane has miss just four
Speaker 1: games in five years as a pro, and three of
Speaker 1: those miss games occurred in eighteen, meaning that Flowers has
Speaker 1: four seasons of fifteen or more games played. In those
Speaker 1: individual seasons, He's logged four thousand, six hundred eleven snaps
Speaker 1: through his first five seasons. That's an average of nine
Speaker 1: hundred twenty two point two plays per season. He turns
Speaker 1: twenty six years old in April, and he found his
Speaker 1: groove last year in the nation's capital. Per Pro Football Focus,
Speaker 1: the Washington offense ran the ball inside the tackles seventy
Speaker 1: eight times, and they split those evenly between the right
Speaker 1: and the left side. When running right away from Flowers,
Speaker 1: Washington average three point eight seven yards per carry, but
Speaker 1: running off the left side behind Flowers nets a point
Speaker 1: six eight yard differential at four point five five yards
Speaker 1: per carry. Nine of the seventy eight carries behind left
Speaker 1: guard went for ten plus yards. Adrian Peterson average point
Speaker 1: seven yards per carry better running off left guard than
Speaker 1: he did right guard, and Flowers, known for his mulling
Speaker 1: ability in the run game, his past protection was even better.
Speaker 1: In twenty nineteen per PF, Flowers played five hundred eighty
Speaker 1: eight snaps in pass pro and just four of those
Speaker 1: plays resulted in a hit on the quarterback from a
Speaker 1: left guard position. Flowers isn't rarefied air rate. There just
Speaker 1: one other guard that had more than five hundred pass
Speaker 1: blocking snaps allowed fewer quarterback hits than Flowers did. That
Speaker 1: was Dallas Is four time All Pro Zack Martin, with
Speaker 1: a ninety seven point six pass blocking efficiency rate on
Speaker 1: PF and pent pass blocking win rate on ESPNS next
Speaker 1: gen stats. Flowers was one of just thirteen guards to
Speaker 1: play more than five hundred pass blocking snaps and allowed
Speaker 1: two or fewer sacks in twenty nineteen. The twenty four
Speaker 1: pressures he allowed in twenty nineteen ranked twenty nine among
Speaker 1: guards and tied him with Pittsburgh's five time Pro Bowl
Speaker 1: selection David DeCastro. His two sacks allowed equate to a
Speaker 1: point oh three percent sack rate, and the four total
Speaker 1: QB hits it doubles that number point o six percent
Speaker 1: times he allows his quarterback to get hit on those
Speaker 1: five hundred and eighty eight pass blocking reps. He was
Speaker 1: one of twenty left guards to play more than nine
Speaker 1: hundred snaps. Among those, he ranked tenth among his qualifying
Speaker 1: position mates. And pressures allowed and he never allowed more
Speaker 1: than three pressures in a game, so not really ever
Speaker 1: a bad game for Flowers, and he committed only one
Speaker 1: foul from Week six team to the end of the year.
Speaker 1: Just a clean season for Flowers both and the penalties
Speaker 1: and production standpoint. And this guy entered the league a
Speaker 1: spry one years old and really blossom last year under
Speaker 1: Bill Callaghan, who had this to say about his left
Speaker 1: guard in Washington quote, I love Flowers. I loved him
Speaker 1: coming out of the draft. I think the world of him.
Speaker 1: He's physical, He's been really good in past protection. He's
Speaker 1: a strong square force in that respect. I just love
Speaker 1: the kid. I just like the way he works, how
Speaker 1: he goes about his business. Sometimes it's just a breath
Speaker 1: of fresh air. I've had a lot of guys in
Speaker 1: my career and a couple of different places that sometimes
Speaker 1: the different exposure to new techniques, a different system, it
Speaker 1: kind of revives them. He'll hit free agency and I
Speaker 1: think he'll do pretty well and quote some nice praise
Speaker 1: and foreshadowing there for Flowers, former position coach and interim
Speaker 1: head coach there at Washington. And according to the Draft
Speaker 1: Network on their big board, none of the top fifty
Speaker 1: players in this year's draft our guards and only three
Speaker 1: guards rankings at the top one hundred. So for Miami
Speaker 1: to land a surefire starter at the position while not
Speaker 1: resetting the market at the top of the market, that
Speaker 1: has to be considered an organizational win for the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 1: His tape sure is a lot of fun to watch.
Speaker 1: He moves guys off the football with relative ease. And
Speaker 1: now he joins the Drivetime podcast Let's go ahead and
Speaker 1: roll my interview with Dolphins new guard Eric Flowers and
Speaker 1: joining me now here on the Drivetime podcasts. Dolphins new
Speaker 1: guard coming over from Washington, Former Miami Hurricane Eric Flowers,
Speaker 1: Eric how you doing, man, I'm doing it good. Man,
Speaker 1: I'm doing fantastic. It's really fun to get a chance
Speaker 1: to talk to all the new signings, all the new
Speaker 1: free agents. Exciting times here in Miami. I gotta ask
Speaker 1: you a new deal, new team. How's this all kind
Speaker 1: of hitting you right now? It's really surreal, man, I
Speaker 1: really still can't believe it. Man, to get a chance
Speaker 1: to really come back home, it's like, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean, A lot of people get to experience that. So, man,
Speaker 1: I'm really excited. Now. You went to the U. Did
Speaker 1: you grow up a Hurricanes and Dolphins fan as well? Yep,
Speaker 1: I grew up going to the games, man, both sides,
Speaker 1: the training camps, Miami games. So from here. Awesome to hear.
Speaker 1: I was curious to get your your opinion here on this,
Speaker 1: and I'm glad to hear that you're a fan growing up.
Speaker 1: I worked for the team now and I also grew
Speaker 1: up a fan of a team, and I've got my
Speaker 1: favorite moments in team history. Do you have a moment
Speaker 1: as a child or maybe like before you actually started
Speaker 1: playing at the college level that really stands out to
Speaker 1: you as a Dolphins fan? Uh, that's that's the Pacific.
Speaker 1: I just I wasn't around with it. I don't even
Speaker 1: wasn't even more when he won the Super Bowl. Man,
Speaker 1: But I mean I don't have nothing specifically, man, outside
Speaker 1: of you know, a really good chance to see the
Speaker 1: players and beat them, you know what I mean. But
Speaker 1: I mean, I just you know, I always done just
Speaker 1: like man, I don't really have nothing. I mean, well,
Speaker 1: I don't have that really specifically with Miami. Either's just
Speaker 1: just loving them. It's just really just root for him. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's that's that's no problemise totally acceptable. I just I
Speaker 1: was curious from one fan to another. But let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and talk about the fact that you are here
Speaker 1: playing with us now. I think the answer to this
Speaker 1: might be obvious, but maybe outside of the fact that
Speaker 1: it is your hometown team, why did you decide to
Speaker 1: go ahead and sign the contract and come down here
Speaker 1: and be in Miami Dolphin Because I'm from here, man,
Speaker 1: that was like the biggest thing on it, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean, My family's here, I grew up here.
Speaker 1: It's just to be able to play. So like one thing,
Speaker 1: one thing growing up, like coming out of the draft
Speaker 1: and all that one person I really thought was dope
Speaker 1: was learning carry you know what I mean. He grew
Speaker 1: up in Miami Light high schoolball here, played in college here,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. One in Miami ain't got
Speaker 1: the chance to play his whole career here, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean. And I always of them to do
Speaker 1: something like that, you know what I mean. So that's
Speaker 1: why coming out of the draft and this whole, they
Speaker 1: have always wanted to be home. You know what I'm saying,
Speaker 1: This is the place I've always wanted to be. Those
Speaker 1: are some great Yeah, those are some great footsteps to follow.
Speaker 1: For sure. Eric one of the better Dolphin offensive lineman
Speaker 1: in our team history. But I want to ask you,
Speaker 1: have you had a chance to meet coach Flores yet
Speaker 1: and what's your initial impression of him? Um, I've talked
Speaker 1: to the man. He's something. He's a really a beat guy,
Speaker 1: like he's ready to win. Man, this whole Corona man
Speaker 1: has kind of slowed it down. I haven't been able
Speaker 1: to get over there. It's crazy because I'm right down
Speaker 1: the street, you know. Yeah, Yeah, I saw you played
Speaker 1: at your your high school ball at Miami Norland, just
Speaker 1: one and a half miles away there from hard Rock Stadium.
Speaker 1: So really cool story to have you come back home, Eric,
Speaker 1: and last year you've got a chance to get a
Speaker 1: front row seat to see fits magic and action. And
Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you how much are you looking
Speaker 1: forward to blocking for Ryan Fitzpatrick and your upcoming season?
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I really saw. I was up there in
Speaker 1: New York. Sayny time he was in New York, that's right,
Speaker 1: So I got I got to see yeah, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: he had a great season in New York. So he's
Speaker 1: already already sparks it up wherever he goes. Man, be
Speaker 1: excited that you gotta be a man. I can't wait
Speaker 1: to get over there. And last year was your first year,
Speaker 1: Eric as an inside offensive lineman playing guard. What was
Speaker 1: it about kicking inside that you think really compliments your
Speaker 1: skill set? Uh? Man, versatility. I think it makes you
Speaker 1: more versatile. Man. I think that's what the league looks
Speaker 1: for because every years injuries every year is something you
Speaker 1: know what I mean. So I'll be able to play
Speaker 1: more in one position that has value. See yourself into it,
Speaker 1: into what you bring to the table, you know, and
Speaker 1: so and so when you do get into the into
Speaker 1: the huddle with whether it's Ryan Fitzpatrick, or or any
Speaker 1: quarterbacks you play with in the past, the play call
Speaker 1: comes in. What is the call that gets you the
Speaker 1: most fired up to go out and execute every time?
Speaker 1: Running the ball? Really, you know what I mean? That's
Speaker 1: really so I really love Man, because you're a big part.
Speaker 1: You're a huge part of the ring game, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean. You can't really control who he passes
Speaker 1: to or what the route they want, but running the
Speaker 1: ball opening holes, Man, that's that's probably, that's probably. I
Speaker 1: think that's it every office of LAFE as big as
Speaker 1: you know in the excitement in the game plans is
Speaker 1: running the wall. Well, we're definitely looking forward to watching
Speaker 1: you put some dude to the turf here at hard
Speaker 1: Rock Stadium. Is there a better feeling for an offensive
Speaker 1: lineman than getting a pancake block? No, definitely not, Man,
Speaker 1: other than a block for a touchdown? And Eric, you
Speaker 1: mentioned meeting with Brian Flores over the phone. Have you
Speaker 1: had a chance to talk to Chan Gailey or Steve Marshall,
Speaker 1: your offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Yeah, I talked
Speaker 1: to him. I've talked to him a sound I did.
Speaker 1: Ready to go, Man, So hopefully we can put this
Speaker 1: all together man and you get some success. And last
Speaker 1: year you spent your time with interim head coach and
Speaker 1: former offensive line coach in Washington under Bill Callaghan, and
Speaker 1: he really lauded your work ethic in your mindset, saying
Speaker 1: that you just put your head down and work and
Speaker 1: you really did a good job of kind of reinventing
Speaker 1: yourself as a left guard last year. Where does that
Speaker 1: mindset and you're just kind of your general approach of
Speaker 1: the game, where does that come from for you? Um,
Speaker 1: it's really just man. I think going there was really
Speaker 1: just imagined me to even man. You know, he's a
Speaker 1: straight shooter man, best best coach I ever I've ever
Speaker 1: been around, from Phil Phil studies to just teach him,
Speaker 1: met this man. So I really just I really just
Speaker 1: do away everything manages. I was able to trust to
Speaker 1: him to do the things that he wanted me to do. So,
Speaker 1: I mean it was just man a coach man. So Eric,
Speaker 1: I got trying to come here and continue those things. Eric,
Speaker 1: I gotta ask you, since you're a Miami native and
Speaker 1: you know the area so well, I actually am not
Speaker 1: from South Florida, but I'll be moving there very shortly. Here,
Speaker 1: what are some things that a person coming to South
Speaker 1: Florida has to do. Like what the bucket list for
Speaker 1: South Florida bucket lists. You gotta go to a Hurricane
Speaker 1: game and Miami all the sports games. You gotta go
Speaker 1: to go to East Stadium. Um, South Beach, of course, man,
Speaker 1: but South Beach. South Beach is cool. You know, that's
Speaker 1: when a lot of tourists go. But you gotta go
Speaker 1: to the games, man, Hurricane Offen, Miami he games. Um Man,
Speaker 1: there's so much to do around here, man, so much
Speaker 1: to do. High school games are really big down here.
Speaker 1: You gotta go to the Northwestern Verse Central game. Um
Speaker 1: It's just I couldn't even tell you. Man, it's so
Speaker 1: much to do, fool. The food here is tremendous, Man,
Speaker 1: you gotta go. You have to get some cribby and food. Man.
Speaker 1: My people came here from Jamaica, so you gotta Jamaican food,
Speaker 1: Haitian food, Hispanic food. It's all, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1: A lot of career good cribby and food. So well,
Speaker 1: I think a lot of the listeners are probably get
Speaker 1: hungry right now. We talked to Ted Carriss earlier the
Speaker 1: new edition. Coming up to the offensive line as well
Speaker 1: to join you on the old line. And he used
Speaker 1: to drink a gallon of milk every single day to
Speaker 1: put on enough weight to get up to playing offensive line.
Speaker 1: So maybe not so much the milk aspect, but go
Speaker 1: after that, that Spanish food, the Haitian food, the Cuban food.
Speaker 1: I did have one of those Cuban sandwiches. That stuff
Speaker 1: is delicious, so definitely gonna have to check that out.
Speaker 1: One thing we've talked about with everyone so far in
Speaker 1: the podcast, Eric is basketball playing hoops. Do you have
Speaker 1: a hoop background and are you willing to stake the
Speaker 1: claim that you're the best basketball player on this football team. Oh,
Speaker 1: I used to play basketball. I used to play basketball,
Speaker 1: but I mean it's too many it's six sid cancer
Speaker 1: that I would start to football. But I played basketball.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I'm the best stuff. That's what
Speaker 1: you're looking for in terms of like your jump shot
Speaker 1: or just playing rebounds or what what what makes you
Speaker 1: the best in the basketball court? Uh, great, Fasten, I
Speaker 1: mean just wrong game. I mean it is when you've
Speaker 1: got some dudes who who really have real, like you know,
Speaker 1: athletics game. It was like I'm a little bit heavier dude. So,
Speaker 1: I mean I could I mean, I couldn't even tell you, man,
Speaker 1: I played a great team. Boy, I'll tell you that.
Speaker 1: That's that's a good answer. That's a good way to
Speaker 1: to get things down and hoop. Uh let's go back
Speaker 1: to the football field here there, and I want to
Speaker 1: just kind of get your general scouting report on yourself,
Speaker 1: like what are the Miami Dolphins getting and Eric Flowers, Uh, dude,
Speaker 1: this is gonna play with energy man, dude that wants
Speaker 1: to win. Um, I think my best years of football
Speaker 1: ahead of me, man. So I mean, I'm just you
Speaker 1: know what I mean, I'm just ready to get in
Speaker 1: and work, man. And it's just do the things you
Speaker 1: need to do, and do bring my party, do my
Speaker 1: job what I have to do to help my team
Speaker 1: to be successful, you know what I mean. Absolutely. And
Speaker 1: one of those things we talked about with Bill Callahan,
Speaker 1: what some of the leadership you bring to the locker room.
Speaker 1: Is that something that you think that you bring in
Speaker 1: spades to the Miami Dolphins locker room? Uh? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1: I definitely considered myself a great teammate due who support
Speaker 1: the dudes around. Yeah. I mean, so you're definitely gonna
Speaker 1: get a dude who gonna have his back do whatever.
Speaker 1: You know what I mean. So and I asked that. Yeah, man.
Speaker 1: And on the topic of your of your teammates here
Speaker 1: in Miami, as far as opening up holes for the
Speaker 1: running game, you obviously played against Miami last season, can
Speaker 1: you give us a scouting report on some of the
Speaker 1: defensive lineman you went against last year, whether it's Christian
Speaker 1: Wilkins or Divon got Shaw or anybody else. Oh. Yeah,
Speaker 1: even like Christian Roams, I think he's gonna be He's
Speaker 1: gonna be a good player. Man, It's gonna be a
Speaker 1: really good player. Then they had another I mean the deference.
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know exactly who's coming back. They
Speaker 1: have some pretty strong dudes. But then you look at
Speaker 1: the people they bring it in. I think Zavia Horroard
Speaker 1: was he was hurt by the time I got there.
Speaker 1: But I think we all the dudes coming in healthy
Speaker 1: and I think to help enough talent or defense to
Speaker 1: get it done. Yeah, it's been fun to watch what
Speaker 1: Chris Career and Brian Floors and the entire staff has
Speaker 1: done so far over the free agency period. Eric, It's
Speaker 1: all I got for you man, Congratulations on the new contract,
Speaker 1: Congrats on coming home. Best of luck this season, stay healthy.
Speaker 1: And I would say welcome to Miami, but you're already there,
Speaker 1: so I enjoy being back in Miami. Game man, cool man,
Speaker 1: thank you appreciate it. Yeah, you got it. We'll see
Speaker 1: you at camp cool And there he goes Eric Flowers,
Speaker 1: the big bruising guard, Gonna help out exponentially both in
Speaker 1: the ground game and in the passing game, and really
Speaker 1: kind of maybe harken back to someone like Jamie Nails
Speaker 1: back in two thousand two, leading Ricky Williams to a
Speaker 1: rushing championship in a Russian crown that year. Looking forward
Speaker 1: to having that guy on the field. It's always fun
Speaker 1: to watch that physical style of football, and that's certainly
Speaker 1: what Flowers brings to the field. And how fun is
Speaker 1: it to have a guy that grew up a lifelong
Speaker 1: Dolphins fan go to the you get here to Miami
Speaker 1: and play for the Dolphins. He just he was very
Speaker 1: excited about the fact that he gets to come back
Speaker 1: to Miami to his hometown play for his childhood team.
Speaker 1: I think it's a dream we've all had, and Eric
Speaker 1: Flowers now gets to live that dream. So great to
Speaker 1: hear from him, and we've got plenty more podcasts coming
Speaker 1: the rest of this weekend and into early next week
Speaker 1: talking about these Miami Dolphins new free agent additions. In
Speaker 1: order to catch all those podcasts, make sure you are
Speaker 1: subscribed to the Drive Time podcast here on Apple podcast,
Speaker 1: Google Play, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast from. Go
Speaker 1: ahead and subscribe, rate and review the show. Give me
Speaker 1: a follow on Twitter It's at Wingfield, NFL. Follow the
Speaker 1: fins at Miami Dolphins of course, check out the fish
Speaker 1: Tank podcast with Seth and Juice, the Audible with Kim
Speaker 1: and John Knjemmy, and check out John's All twenty two
Speaker 1: breakdowns he's posting up there giving you a good look
Speaker 1: at what these guys bring to the football field, and
Speaker 1: of course all of that consolidated on Miami Dolphins dot com.
Speaker 1: But as for today's show, that is going to be
Speaker 1: my time until next time. Fins Up, Up, Up,