FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 30: Trey Flowers #98 of the New England Patriots reacts during the third quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions are preparing to sign defensive lineman Trey Flowers when the league year starts on Wednesday.
Detroit is a little over 700 miles away from Foxborough but the ties between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions are growing by the day. This time the Lions went out and grabbed former Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the deal on Twitter.
Contract Details
Flowers, according to Schefter and NFL’s Ian Rapoport, is expected to land a deal that will pay him between $16-18 million annually. That annual salary will place Flowers among the league’s highest paid defensive ends and defensive lineman in general. This comes after the Patriots flirted giving Flowers the franchise tag but ultimately deciding against it. The former fourth pick was also entertaining an offer from the Miami Dolphins.
Reaction
ESPN’s Field Yates seems to like the big deal for Flowers.
The Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett also likes the move claiming Flowers was the team’s top target in free agency.
Grade: A
At just 25 years old, turning 26 before the new season starts, Flowers still has room to grow. He comes off a Super Bowl winning season where he was consistently the best player in New England’s defensive front.
A versatile defensive lineman, Flowers has played inside and out for the diverse defense run in New England. He has a relationship with Lions head coach Matt Patricia. The former defensive coordinator of the Patriots now runs the show in Detroit, which makes sense why the team is grabbing former Patriots players left and right. They’ve already announced a deal with former New England receiver Danny Amendola.
Flowers fill a massive need for the Lions. With Ezekiel Ansah aging and set to hit free agency, pass rush and defensive end was the team’s most glaring hole. This opens the door for the Lions to take a tight end in the first round of the NFL draft where they were linked to countless pass rushers. Even at that price, which is steep, a young player like Flowers with experience in the system makes sense.