In the ninth installment of this series we take a look at one of the premiere corners in the NFL; Brandon Flowers. A young and rising star, Flowers has begun to grab some national attention. The five-foot-nine, 187 pound man out of Virginia Tech has gotten better each season. He now looks to help Kansas City win a second straight AFC West title.
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft, Flowers immediately started and flourished in his rookie year. Blessed with exceptional speed and quickness, he caught the eyes of many Chiefs fans. Along with Brandon Carr, the fourth year players have formed the best tandem in the league (don't tell me about Revis and Cromartie, both Brandon's are better than Mr. Cromartie, by a mile).Since his first game, Flowers has always been pitted against the opponent's best receiver and has been brilliant. Not only does he shut down those stars but he does it with the safeties rolling the other way. Until this season he hasn't had safety play behind him worth speaking about anyway. The secondary has easily become Kansas City's greatest strength defensively and Brandon Flowers is an integral part of that.
On the flip side, Flowers has had some minor injury problems throughout his short career. He has never started all 16 games in a season usually due to his legs. He also suffers from cornerback's hands. Flowers constantly puts himself in position to intercept passes but drops as many as he catches. In 2009, Flowers had five picks but only has two in each of his other seasons. In fairness, part of that is due to quarterbacks staying away from #24.
The question here is simple. We know Brandon Flowers is great, but can he become a Pro Bowler this season by elevating his game?
My Verdict: Brandon Flowers will make the Pro Bowl in 2011. (Sorry Ups, it's just my honest feeling. I promise I'm not a homer. Read my Bowe and Albert articles.)
Flowers' hands aren't getting any better and he plays for a small market team, but with Nnamdi Asomugha out of the AFC a spot has opened up. The team being better along with Flowers making a name for himself last season should put him in Hawaii as long as he's healthy.
Flowers doesn't have a catchy nickname or a loud head coach always screaming his praises from the rooftops, but he's about as good as it gets. He's a shutdown corner in an age when that term is almost extinct. With the passing rules the way they are today it's incredible how consistent Flowers is.
The most underrated part of his game is how he plays the run. During the 2010 season, Brandon Flowers missed one tackle. Think about that. Most guys do that in a game. Hell, Eric Warfield did that on every play of his career. He's a tremendous asset in run defense which is extremely rare for someone who plays cornerback. I always think of that Monday Night game against San Diego, when he form-tackled Darren Sproles in the open field.
Kansas City is getting better due in large part to the young players maturing on the roster. Flowers is one of them, running along with the likes of Carr, Berry, Charles, Bowe, Moeaki, Dorsey, Johnson and Hali with the winds of change at their backs. What a great breeze.