Should LA Rams kick the tires on just released CB Tre Flowers?

Well, here we go again. The LA Rams just assigned cornerback Darious Williams to their injured reserve roster for a minimum of the next three weeks. With the Rams already disappointed at the early performance of defensive back David Long Jr., the team was already lighter at the cornerback position than expected. Now? The Rams may be discussing their options.

One such ‘breaking news’ option for the Rams may have arrived courtesy of one of their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.  You see, the Seahawks are 2-3 now, and they benched Flowers during the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In his place, the Seahawks are starting cornerback Sidney Jones IV, a former Washington Huskies player who is quite familiar with the Seahawks defense.

So the question now is, should the Rams kick the tires on Tre Flowers?

Why the Rams shouldn’t

Tre Flowers is not exactly someone who has played shutdown defense in the Seattle Seahawks secondary. Truth be told, he is one of the contributors to the Seahawks’ defensive struggles. While he arrived at the Seahawks with promise, allowing 60 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their mark, he’s slipped to the 75 percent range over 2020 and the beginning of 2021.

While he is a strong tackler and has played special teams throughout his career with the Seahawks, his performance has regressed a bit on defense. And that is not a very good selling point for any team to sign a player.

If there is less than an expected signing, why bring a player in? It causes existing players on the roster to question the front office, and players who could be contributing 100 percent may themselves start to shy away from total focus on their role with the team.

Why the Rams should

The LA Rams may have younger options, but few have NFL game experience. And that’s the real reason behind getting another veteran on the roster now, isn’t it? I mean, the likelihood of any cornerback signed right now is less than 50 percent. So it’s not about replacing a young player or derailing a potential NFL career.

It comes down to insurance, plain and simple.

We’re not talking the guy to line up and start opposite Jalen Ramsey. But we are talking about a player who could in a pinch. The NFL is filled with uncertainty and unknowns. Sometimes players perform poorly and then suddenly perform very well.

Brian Allen is one of those types of players.

Sometimes a player just doesn’t fit the scheme for one NFL team but plays dependably well, if not great, for a new team.

Sidney Jones IV is one of those types of players.

No, Tre Flowers is not an All-Pro type of defensive back. But among the LA Rams secondary, he really doesn’t need to be. He just needs to be good. The Rams have All-Pro defensive back, Jalen Ramsey, to do the heavy lifting in the secondary. The Rams have All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald to apply the pressure on the opposing quarterbacks to hurry the throws.

So Tre Flowers simply needs to play pass coverage. For a player who has been targeted nearly 300 times by NFL quarterbacks, and allowed just 186 completions and seven touchdowns over four NFL seasons, that is within his abilities.

Should the Rams pull the trigger? Well, that’s not what we are asking here. Bring the guy in. Talk to him. Test him and give him the required medical exam to ensure he is up to the challenge of playing for the LA Rams. After all, it’s just an interview.  You never know when the LA Rams will need to sign a veteran quickly.