The Detroit Lions made moves to bolster the defense for both the short and long term Monday morning, signing linebacker Marquis Flowers and then giving defensive back Quandre Diggs a three-year extension.
Sources confirmed to ESPN that the Diggs extension is worth $20.4 million after it was first reported by NFL Network.
Diggs found out about the extension over the weekend while he was doing what else -- watching football.
"It's been a long time coming, but at the end of the day, I'm a simple person, man, so when it got done I was just at the house, just relaxing," Diggs said. "Relaxing, watching college football and you know, my agent gave me a call and let me know it was done and, you know, all I did was text my mom, text my brother. My girlfriend was there. My best friend was at the house so we was just chillin', watching TV, so that's what it was."
Diggs began his career as a slot cornerback, earning the role as a rookie. Last year, after a season-ending shoulder injury to Tavon Wilson, Diggs moved into a starting safety spot and flourished, intercepting three passes over the final five games of the season. In his three years in Detroit, he has played in 44 games, making 137 tackles with 16 passes defended, three forced fumbles and those three interceptions.
"Quandre has developed into one of our core defensive players and we are excited to come to this agreement that will have him as a Detroit Lion for the next four seasons." Lions general manager Bob Quinn said. "I also want to thank Quandre and his representatives for their work in making this extension a reality."
Entering what would have been a contract year, Diggs is expected to be a key part of Detroit's defense, both as a safety next to Glover Quin and, when needed, down in the slot. Diggs has long said it doesn't matter to him where he plays, that he's "a football player" and can go wherever necessary. That has been key for the Lions, who have been trying to build consistency in the secondary. With Diggs' deal, the Lions' top eight defensive backs are all are signed at least through the 2019 season.
"A guy who is obviously a critical part of our team here, defensively," Lions coach Matt Patricia said. "Has worked extremely hard since he walked in the door. Someone, since I got here, who has kind of embraced everything that we've been doing and trying to take a big leadership role for us from that standpoint. Real happy for him and his family and excited to have him around."
Patricia said having a player who is versatile at a "high level" and can do it at multiple positions -- corner and safety -- makes him valuable to the Lions along with handling the mental and instinctual part of multiple positions.
Flowers reunites with his former defensive coordinator, Patricia, who is in his first year as head coach of Detroit.
The move is an unsurprising one for the Lions, considering their needs in the front seven and the familiarity between Patricia and the linebacker. Flowers appeared to be a fit with Detroit in free agency in March, but he re-signed with New England.
The Patriots then released him Saturday and he didn't have to go through waivers as a vested veteran. Less than 48 hours later, Flowers ended up signing with the Lions.
Flowers played 26 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps last season. He is a fast linebacker who was part of the team's dime package late in the year. He was also a core special teamer.
The Patriots had acquired Flowers in a trade from the Bengals for a seventh-round pick in August 2017.
The Lions have had specific issues covering tight ends and running backs the past two seasons -- another issue that came up throughout the preseason. Flowers, who has speed other Detroit linebackers don't have, can help remedy that in a best-case scenario.
In a Providence Journal story from January, Flowers credited Patricia with giving him confidence throughout last season that led to his breakout.
"I'll never forgot, I was walking in the hallway and coach Matt Patricia came up to me and said, basically, to keep trying to get better and he likes me, believes in me and really believes I can help the team win," Flowers told the Journal. "That was the first time I ever heard that from a defensive coordinator since I've been in [the NFL]. I'm like, 'Whoa. Is he lying?' Then I went home and it put even more [confidence] in me -- like, 'come on, this is not where you've been. You've got a chance to help the team win.' I can just say that coach Matt Patricia and coach Brian Flores, they believed in me."
ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss contributed to this report.