MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins agreed to trade veteran guard Ereck Flowers to Washington in a deal Tuesday that also included a swap of late-round draft picks.
The Dolphins will pay Flowers $6 million as a signing bonus for a restructured contract this year, and Washington will pay him a $3 million base salary, said his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Flowers signed a $30 million, three-year deal with the Dolphins a year ago and started 14 games at left guard in his only season with them. He started 16 games in 2019 for Washington under that team’s previous coaching regime and is expected to return to that starting spot.
He has also played for the Giants and Jaguars and has 85 career starts.
The deal frees up needed salary-cap space for the Dolphins, and slightly increases the chance they’ll take Oregon right tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 6 pick in the draft Thursday. But they’re still expected to choose a pass catcher for Tua Tagovailoa with their top choice.
GENO HAYES, a former NFL linebacker who starred at Florida State, has died. He was 33.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed his death. He had liver disease and had been in hospice care at his parents’ home in Valdosta, Georgia.
Hayes spent four seasons with the Bucs, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2008. He then played one year with Chicago and two with Jacksonville.
Hayes started 70 games for his career. He made 401 tackles, 48 for losses. He had 10 sacks, six interceptions and six forced fumbles.
In an interview with ESPN this year, Hayes said he was diagnosed with chronic liver disease two years ago and had been placed on a waiting list for a transplant at the Mayo Clinic and Northwestern Medicine.
Hayes was at two-year starter at Florida State. He famously called out Florida quarterback Tim Tebow before the rivals squared off in Gainesville in 2007, saying the Heisman Trophy front-runner was “going down.”
Hayes insisted the Seminoles would “shatter his dream for the Heisman.”
Florida won 45-12, with Tebow accounting for five touchdowns. Hayes finished with one tackle and was booed as he ran off the field and cursed at reporters. The exchange was one reason the Gators stopped allowing reporters on Florida Field after games.
Hayes turned pro a couple months later.
Hayes told ESPN he believes his use of over-the-counter pain medications while in the NFL, as well as his family’s history of liver disease, led to his condition.
He is survived by his parents and two children, ages 8 and 13.
BILLS: The Buffalo Bills signed offensive lineman Ike Boettger to a one-year contract, a little over a month after retaining the rights to the third-year player.
Boettger was a restricted free agent who had seven starts at left guard last season. He took over the starting job after Cody Ford sustained a season-ending knee injury.
Boettger and Ford are anticipated to compete for the starting job this offseason.
An undrafted free agent out of Iowa, Boettger was claimed by the Bills in 2018 after being waived by the Kansas City Chiefs. He has seven starts in 18 career games with Buffalo.
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