GFL: Dresden Monarchs sign ex-Barcelona Dragons WR Mario Flores

| American Football | 08/02/2023

The Dresden Monarchs have announced the signing of former European League of Football receiver Mario Flores for the remainder of their season. 

The Spanish talent spent the last few months in Austria playing for the Danube Dragons, where he racked up 46 catches for 602 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games, helping Danube win a second straight an Austrian Bowl championship.

The two years prior saw the 6’, 195 pound playmaker put up 50 catches for 675 yards and six touchdowns in 21 games for the ELF’s Barcelona Dragons. Flores was a key component of the iconic 2021/’22 Dragons offensive unit alongside Zach Edwards and Kyle Sweet, who now play together for the Paris Musketeers.

He has previously spent time playing for two teams in Germany, the Hildesheim Invaders and the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns where he won a German Bowl title in 2017. Between these seasons, he returned home to Spain where he played for Osos Rivas and was named the offensive MVP in 2018.

Flores joins an already incredibly strong Dresden Monarchs squad, who are stacked top-to-bottom with international talent. Monarch’s quarterback Steven Duncan leads the league in every passing stat (averaged per-game played), while primary receiver Austin Mitchell leads the yardage competition by a landslide, averaging 180 yards per-game. As well as Mitchell, Flores will play alongside British speedster Tommy Wilson, who has had an eye-catching first year in Germany, with just shy of 400 yards and eight scores as a number two receiver. This depth in offensive weapons was one of many reasons Dresden found themselves atop the AFI Power Rankings.

The Monarchs have made some more great signings over the midseason break, picking up six former ELF players. Two of these have come from the recently-folded Leipzig Kings, while three come in from the Prague Lions, who have faced their own internal struggles as of late.

Dresden will welcome Flores and all other signings in a highly anticipated matchup between the Monarchs and the 6-1 Braunschweig New Yorker Lions on August 5.

A current student at Bournemouth University as well as a quarterback with eight years of playing experience. Brad's goal is to be a part of the growth of the game around the world through journalism and media.