Danny Shelton is the latest Patriot to be moving on this offseason. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Shelton has agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions. This contract will pay the defensive lineman $8 million over the next two seasons.
The former first-round pick joins linebacker Jamie Collins as the most recent Patriot to make his way to Detroit. He’ll also get another opportunity to play with another former Patriot, Trey Flowers.
Shelton was originally brought to New England in March of 2018, along with a fifth-round pick, in a trade with the Browns that sent a third-round pick back to Cleveland. In his two years in New England, the 26-year-old played a rotational role as the run-stuffing defensive tackle. The job that he did won’t show up on the stat sheet, but he played a valuable part on the road to the Patriots’ Super Bowl 53 victory over the Rams.
While Shelton never got the opportunity to play under Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia while he was the defensive coordinator in New England, he’ll be comfortable playing in essentially the same system he’s played in for the last two seasons.
With A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels both set to become free agents in Detroit, Shelton should be able to slide in and play frequently.
In New England, he leaves a big hole in the middle of the defensive line. That gap will need to be filled by either second-year defensive lineman Byron Cowart, an affordable free agent, or someone in the draft.
