The New England Patriots will lose their best pass rusher in NFL free agency with defensive end Trey Flowers heading to the Detroit Lions.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news Monday.
It will be a five-year deal in Detroit for Trey Flowers, per source. https://t.co/WAdJxKmI4H
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2019
ESPN's Field Yates reports the contract could be worth as much as $16 million or $17 million per season.
Per @AdamSchefter, Trey Flowers deal with the Lions is expected to something close to $16M-$17M per season. Massive.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 11, 2019
The loss of Flowers, who will be reunited with former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in Detroit, is a huge one for the Patriots. He led the team with 7.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits during the 2018 season. He was a fourth-round pick (101st overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Patriots might have already found one replacement for Flowers. They reportedly agreed to acquire veteran defensive end Michael Bennett in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
New England also lost starting left tackle Trent Brown earlier Monday when he reportedly agreed to a four-year free-agent contract with the Oakland Raiders.
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