Patriots trade Duron Harmon to Lions

The New England Patriots traded safety Duron Harmon to the Detroit Lions, pending a physical, the Lions announced.

The deal involves a flip of late-round draft picks, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Harmon spent seven seasons in New England, where his knack for intercepting fourth-quarter passes earned him the nickname "The Closer." He played behind Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung on the depth chart but was on the field for over 600 snaps in five consecutive seasons.

The 29-year-old carries a $5.5-million cap hit for 2020 and is scheduled to become a free agent in 2021.

The deal will bring yet another player once coached by Matt Patricia in New England to Detroit. Patricia and the Lions have aggressively pursued former Patriots since his hiring as head coach in 2018.

Earlier Wednesday, the Lions reportedly agreed to terms with former Patriots defensive tackle Danny Shelton. Detroit also reportedly hammered out a deal with ex-Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins at the beginning of the legal tampering period.

The acquisitions of former Patriots such as Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman, and Danny Amendola headlined the Lions' 2018 offseason.

Patricia is entering his third season as Detroit's head coach after serving as an assistant in New England from 2004-2017. He tried to trade for Rob Gronkowski after joining the Lions, but the legendary tight end nixed the move.

Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.