Drew Rosenhaus to now represent Giants’ Ereck Flowers
Eli Manning #10 and Ereck Flowers #74 of the New York Giants react against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on November 19, 2017. Credit: Mike Stobe
Ereck Flowers has a new agent. Whether or not he has a new team soon remains to be seen.
Flowers has signed on to be represented by Drew Rosenhaus, the agent announced on Tuesday. Flowers had previously represented himself with his father’s guidance. Rosenhaus has a long history of representing players from the University of Miami and from the South Florida area, and Flowers is from both.
The move comes at a time when Flowers’ future with the Giants is uncertain. The Giants signed veteran Nate Solder in free agency and announced that Flowers, who had started at left tackle for three years, would compete at right tackle. Flowers, though, has been one of the few Giants players who has not attended any of the voluntary workouts this spring, and the team is clearly annoyed by his absence.
“We understand that this is a program that is voluntary,” head coach Pat Shurmur said last week at the start of the voluntary minicamp. “I tend to believe it is very necessary, but he’s not here. So, when he is here, we will start to talk about him.”
General manager Dave Gettleman said in a radio interview last week: “Pat’s talked to him a couple times, but he has decided to stay home. You guys have figured out culture is very important to me. Football is the ultimate team game and you need 53 guys who are all there. We all make decisions, as adults we make decisions, and Ereck has made his.”
It’s unclear exactly what role Rosenhaus will play in Flowers’ future with the Giants, whether he is planning an escape from the team or possibly working to mend bridges. Flowers has had a solid relationship with the Giants over the years. The Giants did entertain several trade conversations regarding Flowers during the draft but none were enough to ship Flowers elsewhere. It’s unclear if Rosenhaus was working on Flowers’ behalf during those conversations.
Flowers is entering what may be the final year of his rookie contract. The Giants have until next week to decide if they will use a fifth-year option on the former first-round pick. He is owed $4.5 million in 2018 and, if the Giants exercise the option, will make about $12.5 million in 2019.
The Giants did not draft any players who could step in at right tackle for Flowers but have two promising second-year prospects in Chad Wheeler and Adam Bisnowaty. Ideally the Giants would like Flowers to join that competition.
“This is a difficult time to talk about those kinds of things because it’s voluntary, I get that,’’ Shurmur said on WFAN on Monday. “There’s enough on tape. Things didn’t go very well last year for the Giants, but he played through the year and there’s enough on tape for me to see there’s talent there. So whenever he decides to come in, we’re looking forward to working with him. Hey, that’s just what it is.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
