Falcons DB Tre Flowers Brings 'Different Skill Set'; Jeff Okudah Replacement?

Jeff Okudah's injury opens a door in the Atlanta Falcons secondary for opportunity. It's a door Tre Flowers could open.

With the Atlanta Falcons down a key member in the secondary after Jeff Okudah's ankle injury, the search for someone who can fill his void begins.

Among those who could be the one to make the largest impact is Tre Flowers.

“I think that Tre is a guy that’s played some quality snaps in this league," coach Arthur Smith said. "He’s got a different skill set. That’s what happens too, a lot of times and especially on critical downs, as you know it’s a matchup league. We’ve got guys that we think can uniquely match up. It may not be the same week in and week out. The same thing with our safeties, depending on who they put out there on those critical downs.”

Flowers played three and a half seasons for the Seattle Seahawks before being waived in Oct. 2021, catching on with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he stayed through this past season.

A first-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior at Oklahoma State, Flowers was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft as a safety but transitioned to corner as a rookie and impressed, starting 15 games and playing 98 percent of the defensive snaps in each of his first two seasons.

The 6-3, 203-pound Flowers saw his role decline in 2020, playing in 12 games with seven starts, and started three of the first five games in 2021 before his release.

In Cincinnati, Flowers played in 26 games across one and a half seasons, making just one start. This past season, he played 63 percent of the Bengals' special teams snaps and 17 percent of defensive snaps, logging 27 tackles, three passes defended and one interception.

Flowers played a big nickel role for Cincinnati, covering tight ends on third downs and in the red zone. Here's what Bengals coach Zac Taylor said about Flowers this past October.

“Tre’s done a great job,” Taylor said. “Tre steps up and plays his role to a tee, does a great job on special teams and the different roles those coaches put him in on defense. He brings a lot of confidence with his play. Made a lot of big plays for us vs some tough matchups, whether it’s in zone or man coverage."

For his career, Flowers has intercepted four passes and defended 20 others, adding 262 tackles, three tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Perhaps he can add to that total this season with the Falcons.

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