Giants to cut or trade Ereck Flowers after draft bust 'ran its course' | Any salary cap savings?

Ereck Flowers' Giants career is over earlier than expected and later than the fan base demanded.

The Giants intend to trade or release Flowers by 4 p.m. Tuesday. The obvious preference is a trade, but the Giants shopped Flowers during the NFL Draft and did not find a suitable return, so it is difficult to imagine any return nowadays given his stock.

Flowers was notified Monday afternoon of the Giants plans, was excused from practice and left the facility, NJ Advance Media has learned.

"I think it's just kind of run its course," coach Pat Shurmur. "Appreciate Ereck's efforts. We wish him the best. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for a person. We're just hopeful that he can go on and continue to have a good career."

It's quite the turn of events for Flowers, who took all of the first-team reps at right tackle during post-draft offseason practices, including organized team activities, mandatory minicamp and training camp.

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It was clear the Giants wanted the former first-round draft pick to start as part of their promise of a clean slate to all players, and he wasn't even challenged with a true position battle. 

That changed after Flowers started the first two games of the season and struggled. He was benched in favor of undrafted second-year pro Chad Wheeler.

Shurmur said the decision to move on was prompted by Flowers' reaction to his benching.

Flowers started 46 games over his first three seasons at left tackle but was displaced when the Giants signed Nate Solder as a free agent. He was upset by the move and skipped a voluntary minicamp.

Flowers' entire $4.57 million salary cap hit will still count in 2018 in terms of dead money. The Giants already had declined his fifth-year option for 2019.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2015 draft, one spot before the Rams took star running back Todd Gurley. The Giants audibled to Flowers after offensive guard Brandon Scherff went to the Redskins with the No. 5 pick.

The Giants have added two offensive tackles to the practice squad (Jylan Ware and Brian Mihalik) in recent weeks. It is possible one of them could be promoted to fill Flowers' roster spot.

But the decision to cut Flowers is a reminder of the short-sighted decision by the Giants not to at least bring in an offensive tackle as a challenger, either in the draft or in bargain-hunting for a veteran free agency.

The Giants used a fifth-round draft pick on defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh, who has not practiced yet because of an unknown illness. They spent $3.9 million on running back Jonathan Stewart, who slipped to No. 3 on the depth chart and now is on injured reserve.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.

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