The New England Patriots are in the midst of some significant changes following an eventful offseason. As a result, the Detroit Lions wasted no time using this opportunity to address their secondary.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Lions have swapped late-round picks with the Patriots in exchange for safety Duron Harmon:

There has been plenty of speculation regarding Detroit's plans for the secondary with the uncertain future of cornerback Darius Slay. Regardless, it is clear that they are still adamant filling some of their voids over the top.

It is safe to say that the decision to part ways with Harmon was tied to New England's efforts to shore up some much-needed cap space in the midst of what could potentially be a significant rebuild. They already have a surplus of talent in the secondary after re-signing safety Devin McCourty and the trade will free up $4.5 million in cap space for them to work with this offseason.

Harmon made his bones as an integral piece of New England's defense after being taken in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He managed to win three Super Bowls while playing in all 16 games over the last five seasons. He finished the 2019 NFL season with 22 tackles and two interceptions while starting in eight games.

The addition of Harmon provides a major boost for the Lions' defense and his familiarity with head coach Matt Patricia should help to smoothen his transition. Of course, they still have a number of voids to fill through free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft if they hope to spark a potential resurgence.