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Seahawks’ new corner Tre Flowers needs to make a difference

By Lee Vowell

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI - SEPTEMBER 3: Mark Chapman #3 of the Central Michigan Chippewas gets tackled after a reception by Jordan Burton #20 and Tre Flowers #31 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half of the game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI - SEPTEMBER 3: Mark Chapman #3 of the Central Michigan Chippewas gets tackled after a reception by Jordan Burton #20 and Tre Flowers #31 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half of the game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The Seahawks went into the 2018 NFL Draft needing a pass rusher and a cornerback. Instead of drafting one of those early, they chose a running back. Still, Seattle expects Tre Flowers to develop into a very good corner. After a bit of change…

12s all know how Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll likes his cornerbacks. That is, long-armed and tall. Coach Carroll also likes his corners to learn Seattle’s technique of kick-step and is willing to go a bit raw to develop the right player. Tre Flowers could be that guy.

Flowers will be a converted safety in the NFL. Safety is where Flowers played at Oklahoma State. But as Flowers himself told Seahawks.com, “(OSU) Coach Mike Gundy was an offensive coach. No knock on Coach Gundy, but he was a quarterback in college, so Coach Carroll giving me any advice: I’m going to take it and run with it.”

And he should. There may be no better secondary coach in the NFL than Carroll. He has been developing cornerbacks for 40 years. Carroll knows how to turn decent players into great ones. And he gets those players to fit in his system with the Seahawks. For instance, Byron Maxwell has been very good with Seattle, but not good in other places.

Flowers is 6’3″ and 200 pounds with 34-inch arms. That is nearly perfect size for a Seahawks corner. His 40-yard dash time of 4.45 seconds is decent enough. One of the questions about Flowers is whether he can learn to play corner in the NFL.

Flowers’ future

Flowers doesn’t have a lot of experience at the position. But he has the physical abilities to develop. He won’t be a starter in year one unless so bad stuff happens to other players. But in year two, Flowers could have learned enough to start opposite Shaquill Griffin.

Flowers isn’t Richard Sherman. He nay never be. But Seattle doesn’t need him to be. The Seahawks showed last year they be successful in pass defense without Sherman.

Carroll seems positive about Flowers’ future, though.

"Often guys get pigeonholed and they don’t have as many things to draw from. He had a lot of good positive experiences and a lot of tough chances and stuff too. He’s a good tackler, an open-field guy, he has made plays on the ball, all of that, been a leader, good communicator. All of that added to it. Then when you’re 6-3 and your arm are almost 34 inches long and you run 4.4 and your feet move quick, OK, we’re putting a story together here."

Related Story: Seahawks newest running back could start, but how soon?

Another way this could end is Flowers being Brandon Browner to Griffin’s Sherman. That was special in the past and could be special in the future too.

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