Lions bolster safety depth, trade for Patriots' Duron Harmon
Justin RogersAllen Park — The Detroit Lions had been in market for safety depth and found it when they acquired safety Duron Harmon in a trade with the New England Patriots.
The Lions announced the deal, which is pending a physical, on Wednesday.
It's wasn't immediately known what the Lions sent New England in exchange for Harmon. The NFL Network is reporting the teams exchanged late-round picks, suggesting the move was a salary dump for the Patriots.
A third-round pick out of Rutgers in 2013, Harmon had spent his entire seven-year career in New England. He's appeared in 111 of a possible 112 regular-season games, as well as 17 postseason games, not missing a contest since his rookie season.
In 2019, Harmon started eight games, recording 22 tackles and two interceptions. It marked his third straight season with multiple picks.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Harmon has a versatile skill set, which allows him to line up at both safety spots. He's primarily handled deep safety responsibilities in recent years for the Patriots, while also seeing a healthy number of reps in the box.
The move reunites Harmon with Lions coach Matt Patricia, who served as New England's defensive coordinator Harmon's first five season. He joins other former Patriots starters Jamie Collins, Trey Flowers and Danny Shelton — who agreed to a two-year deal Wednesday — on Detroit's defense.
By picking up Harmon, the Lions take on a $4.25 million cap hit. He instantly becomes the veteran presence in a young room, consisting of Tracy Walker, Will Harris and C.J. Moore, who have a combined four years of experience.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers