Fox News Flash top headlines for March 16
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The Washington Commanders are releasing starting left guard Ereck Flowers and defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, surprising moves made to create salary cap space in the aftermath of acquiring quarterback Carson Wentz.
Flowers' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and Ioannidis' agent, Alan Herman, confirmed the respective release of his client. Cutting Flowers and Ioannidis saves almost $17 million against the salary cap in 2022, but opens holes on the offensive and defensive lines.
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Flowers started 16 games last season in his second tenure in Washington. The No. 9 pick in 2015 stabilized his career after a move from tackle to guard in his first stop with the team, which now has to fill each guard spot after 2020 All-Pro Brandon Scherff left to sign with Jacksonville.
Ioannidis had become an important part of Washington’s defensive tackle rotation along with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Tim Settle.
The Commanders already lost Settle to the Buffalo Bills in free agency. On Tuesday, they agreed to re-sign starting safety Bobby McCain for $11 million over two years.
FILE - Washington NFL football team defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis (98) looks on during pre-game warm-ups before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Landover, Md. The Washington Commanders are releasing defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, a surprising move made to create salary cap in the aftermath of acquiring quarterback Carson Wentz. Agent Alan Herman confirmed Ioannidis' release to The Associated Press on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File)
Ioannidis won't be back with the team, which came as a surprise to his camp. Herman told The AP that Washington senior VP of football administration Rob Rogers lied to him and fellow agent Jared Fox during a meeting at the scouting combine earlier this month by saying the team had no plans to release Ioannidis.
"We don’t particularly care to be lied to our face," Herman said. "They took him out of the free agent market now for two days. That puts us now at a disadvantage because other teams have paid other defensive linemen contracts, and (Ioannidis) hasn’t been able to take advantage of that. That’s not the way you conduct business in the National Football League."
A Commanders spokesman said the team had no comment.
The conversation at the combine occurred before the Commanders acquired Wentz and his hefty cap hit from the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz counts $28.3 million against the cap this season, and adding him gave Washington limited space to use in free agency.
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They gave themselves plenty of room by cutting ties with Flowers and Ioannidis and will have even more when they formally release Landon Collins after June 1. The veteran safety was midway through an $84 million, six-year contract.
Ioannidis had one year left on his deal. A 2016 fifth-round pick out of Temple, he played in 73 games and started 40 for Washington, making 175 tackles and 24½ sacks.
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