Trey Flowers

Casual fans probably look at the $90 million contract Flowers signed last summer and think his 2019 stat line (51 tackles, 7.0 sacks) to be somewhat disappointing. But that couldn't be further from the truth. First, Flowers had little time to prepare for 2019 thoroughly. His former team, the Patriots, played into February the previous season. Then he required shoulder surgery, opened training camp on the PUP list and missed the entire preseason. Second, Flowers was still effective despite it all, and the disruption he caused last year wasn't always reflected in the stat sheet - for him, at least. For fantasy's sake, Flowers is a high-floor, high-upside IDP choice, and the odds are that he's still approaching his statistical peak.

Flowers lined up just about everywhere in New England's amoeba fronts, and the Lions figure to give him as many snaps as he can handle after signing him to a five-year, $90 million contract. With 164 tackles and 21 sacks in his last 2,096 snaps, Flowers presents a compelling upside scenario if he can exceed 900 snaps this year. If the contract is any indication, Flowers' offseason shoulder surgery is a non-issue. While he missed three games the last two years, he has 70-tackle, 10-sack upside if he plays 16 games in 2019.

When Flowers entered the NFL, the concern was that he had a defensive end's build and skill set but a defensive tackle's athleticism, rendering him useless at both. The opposite has proven true, as his pass-rushing skills overcame his athletic limitations, and his ability to play in traffic allows him to contribute from the interior just as easily as the edge. While he doesn't look like the sort of end to pile up double-digit sacks, Flowers' ability to provide solid tackle and sack production allows him to match the IDP utility of plenty of double-digit sack guys.

Flowers, who turns 24 in August, finished last season with 45 tackles and a team-high seven sacks in 16 games. The 2015 fourth-rounder logged eight starts in 2016, and assuming he becomes a lineup fixture at defensive end, the 6-2, 265-pounder will be on the IDP radar thanks to his ability to get to the QB.

Flowers is a a high-motor player who shows a lot of violence in traffic, making him a nice fit as a passing-down pass rusher from the tackle spot. On earlier downs Flowers should help set the edge against the run. A move to defensive tackle could be in the cards for the Arkansas product if he puts on about 15 pounds.