The Detroit Lions have a new lead contract negotiator, and naturally, he has New England Patriots ties.
The Lions hired Mike Disner as vice president of football administration, the team announced Tuesday.
Disner, a West Bloomfield native, replaces Matt Harriss, who was fired Monday in a move that came as a shock to many in the organization.
Harriss inherited a poor salary-cap situation and positioned the Lions to be players in free agency this offseason. The Lions currently stand about $30 million under the projected salary cap for 2019, and are likely to create even more room by releasing several veterans or restructuring their contracts.