Ereck Flowers reportedly only Giants player to miss Monday workout

Ereck Flowers was the only member of the New York Giants not in attendance Monday for the beginning of the team’s offseason workouts, per multiple reports.

What does that mean?

Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot.

It is important to remember that these are voluntary workouts. Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are not mandated to be there. Coaches want them, expect them, to be there. Especially a first-year coach like Pat Shurmur meeting his players for the first time and beginning to install a new system and create a new culture.

“We understand how this is structured here in the offseason, but it’s certainly important. In my mind, it’s important for everybody to be around so they can hear it, learn it and then do it together,” Shurmur said during a conference call on Monday morning. “This is the ultimate team game and we need to work together because it’s important that we are all on the same page as we move toward the fall.”

Quarterback Eli Manning also spoke about the importance of these sessions, even though no on-field work is being done.

“I think it’s important for the guys to be here, especially with a new offense, a new defense going in as well, a new coaching staff -- just to get familiar with everything going on,” Manning said. “Right now you can kind of come in and coaches can take it slow a little bit and you’re learning. You ask questions and you can kind of all learn it together, which is good.

“When guys start missing these meetings and these workouts on the field and stuff, you get behind and then you have to re-teach it, you’ve got to slow things down again for guys to catch up. Obviously I think it’s an opportunity for us to start learning this offense, ask the right questions, make sure we have a good idea of what we’re doing when we get out there to practice. “

Flowers could have a conflict, an appointment or personal matter to handle that simply couldn’t be re-scheduled.

If he chose not to attend, however, that might be noteworthy. Especially since it appears all of his teammates decided to be there for Day 1.

Flowers did not end last season on a great note. He didn’t play Week 17, with the stated reason being an injury. Still, there was much speculation that Flowers and fellow offensive lineman Bobby Hart had expressed a desire not to play in a meaningless season finale.

Hart, who had appeared to be Flowers’ closest friend in the locker room, was cut before that Week 17 in the first real act by new GM Dave Gettleman. Hart and Flowers spent all of last offseason training at the Giants’ facility.

Flowers has now also been told by Shurmur that he is being replaced at left tackle by newly-signed Nate Solder, and that he will have to compete for the job at right tackle.

Is this Flowers showing some unhappiness at the turn of events in his Giants’ career? Or, is it nothing?

Right now, I don’t believe we know the answer.