New England Patriots: Top 5 defensive performers of 2018 NFL season
2. Trey Flowers
The stock of Trey Flowers continued to rise in 2018. In fact, he may have become too expensive for the New England Patriots to maintain.
With 57 combined tackles and 7.5 sacks, there was no doubt the fourth-year defensive end was the heart of the Patriots defensive line. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but his versatility and dependability were reliable throughout the regular season when healthy.
In the playoffs and Super Bowl, he simply took it to another level with physicality and a demand for stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback in big spots. Simply put, Trey Flowers has done everything necessary to earn a big contract. Depending on his motivation after winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots, he may very well cash in someplace else.
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If he does, don’t for one second think Bill Belichick doesn’t appreciate the player he has morphed into during his time in New England.
"“Trey’s given us great play all year,” Belichick said prior to the team’s Week 17 win over the New York Jets. “He’s a tough matchup guy. He played left end and he also played inside today, as he does most games. He can match up on tackles. He can match up on the guards and centers and that gives us some flexibility with some other players as well.”"
As important as that versatility is in New England, other teams are lining up to reap the sow of his growth. The Patriots may just surprise everyone this offseason and keep Trey Flowers blossoming in Foxboro.