It appears the embattled Ereck Flowers is pegged to be the Washington Redskins’ starting left guard ahead of the regular season. Head coach Jay Gruden told the media that Flowers is the starting left guard at this point, per 106.7 the Fan’s Craig Hoffman.
Rookie Wes Martin will get the bulk of work in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Redskins signed Flowers in March after four disappointing seasons in the NFL at left tackle.
Flowers was the ninth overall pick of the New York Giants in 2015. He struggled at left tackle for much of his first three seasons. After declining a fifth-year option and being moved to right tackle, the Giants released Flowers in 2018. He signed with Jacksonville in October and appeared in eight games.
Flowers’ stint with the Redskins began with him at left tackle at the start of training camp as Trent Williams started his holdout. But after early struggles he was replaced by Geron Christian while being moved to the more desirable left guard.
At left guard, Flowers has had his highs — mostly run blocking — and his lows — mostly in pass protection — in three preseason games. Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, he was flagged for holding at the goal line, negating a Derrius Guice rushing touchdown. Then he got beat badly in pass protection, forcing quarterback Case Keenum to throw the football away as the pass rusher had a clear shot on him.
Martin, a fourth-round pick of the Redskins this year, is expected to be the long-term answer at left guard when he is more acclimated.
Meanwhile, Flowers as the starting left guard only laminates concerns of the Redskins’ offensive line with Williams being absent. And those concerns are justified with all the evidence with Flowers. Any early struggles could force Gruden’s hand to make a switch.
