Patriots Release LB Marquis Flowers

The Patriots have released LB Marquis Flowers on Saturday, according to Karen Gurgegian.

Flowers, 26, is a former sixth-round pick of the Bengals back in 2014. He was traded to the Patriots at the start of last season in return for a 2018 seventh-round pick.

Flowers played out the final year of his four-year, $2,298,680 contract and was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Patriots freed up $1,550,000 by releasing him, while creating $300,000 in dead money.

In 2017, Flowers appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and recorded 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defense.