Patriots Lose Trey Flowers And Trent Brown Via Free Agency, Acquire Michael Bennett From Eagles

The Patriots have had a busy start to the offseason, as they've lost two of their top free agents to free agency in the past few days—defensive end Trey Flowers and offensive tackle Trent Brown.

Flowers, 25, has agreed to a five-year, $90 million ($56M guaranteed) deal with the Detroit Lions, reuniting with former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Brown, also 25, is headed to the Oakland Raiders after agreeing to a four-year, $66 million ($36.75M guaranteed) deal with the team on Monday, becoming the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.

Prior to word of Flowers and Brown agreeing to their new deals, ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted out the Patriots' intent on acquiring Michael Bennett from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for swapped draft picks in the 2020 draft.

If the Michael Bennett-to-New-England trade is finalized - and it is expected to be - Patriots and Eagles will swap 5th- and 7th-round picks in the 2020 draft, per a league source.

Eagles get a 5th; Pats get Bennett and a 7th.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2019

The deal has since been completed.

Bennett, 33 and a 10-year NFL veteran, will replace Flowers as one of the Patriots' defensive ends—and at a much cheaper cost. Arriving with two years left on his current deal, Bennett is owed $6.2 million this season and $7 million in 2020.