The Patriots lost two key members of their Super Bowl LIII roster yesterday when offensive tackle Trent Brown signed with the Oakland Raiders and defensive end Trey Flowers signed with the Detroit Lions.

Brown signed a 4 year, $66 million dollar deal while Flowers signed a 5 year $90 million dollar deal. Both got big time guaranteed money in their respective deals.

There is no question that both players were integral members of last year’s team and both will be tough to replace but they are replaceable.

The Patriots acquired Brown last off season from the 49ers for a third round pick. They moved Brown to left tackle at the start of last season. Thanks to the tutelage of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, Brown developed and had a career year. He parlayed that into a huge contract from the Raiders. Bill Belichick knew he wasn’t going to be able to match what Brown would get in the open market. That is why he didn’t bother to place the franchise tag on him.

Flowers on the other hand is a different story because the Patriots drafted and developed him. There was genuine interest on both sides to get a deal done but Flowers wasn’t going to take a home town discount. Flowers blossomed the past two years after missing his rookie season due to injury. He developed into one of the best all around defensive ends in the NFL. Flowers versatility and production made him an attractive option for teams looking to add a pass rusher to their front seven.

Most people around the NFL assumed that Flowers would follow former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores to Miami but instead he will be joining another former Patriots assistant, Matt Patricia in Detroit.

Replacing Brown and Flowers will be won’t be easy but the Patriots are well positioned to replace them because they have been here before. Belichick knows what he is doing. He is not going to over value any position or any player. He is going to do what is best for the team.

Not overpaying Brown and Flowers long term is smart. Neither player was worth committing big money to long term. It might sting now that they are gone but the Patriots will be better off in the long run.