According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Patriots have acquired linebacker Marquis Flowers from Cincinnati in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Bill Belichick was asked about the reports at his Tuesday morning press conference and wouldn't confirm nor deny.
"If we have an announcement, we'll make it," the coach said.
Flowers, 25, was a sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2014 out of Arizona. He played in 16 games and made one start in his rookie year, but missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason.
The 6-3, 245-pound Flowers returned to also play in all 16 games last season, but mostly on special teams. He played only three defensive snaps for the Bengals a year ago.
The Enquirer reports included an interesting nugget with regard to Flowers. Last season in the lead up to the Patriots game against the Bengals, Belichick included the linebacker when discussing's Cincinnati's special teams.
"They have a good group of core players as well. Certainly[Vinny] Rey is one of the top linebackers in the league," Belichick said. "They have a good group there with Flowers and [Clayton] Fejedelem."
Flowers becomes the third Bengal the Patriots have targeted recently as Rex Burkhead and Matt Lengel were with Cincinnati prior to coming to New England. Lengel was released earlier in the week.
