Two of the Detroit Lions' best defensive players are staying away from the team this spring.

Lions coach Matt Patricia confirmed Tuesday that neither defensive tackle Damon Harrison nor cornerback Darius Slay is taking part in organized team activities this week.

The workouts are voluntary but heavily attended, and Patricia downplayed both players' absence on Tuesday.

More:Lions' Frank Ragnow practices at center on Day 1 OTAs

"Right now we are – it’s voluntary as that part of the season is concerned," Patricia said. "Those two guys are not here. You will not see them at the practice today, but we fully expect that this time of the year, guys that are here, guys that are not. That’s totally fine. We’re working with the guys that are out there."

Harrison changed agents earlier this offseason in hopes of landing a new contract, and Slay has hinted at wanting a new deal as well.

Slay, a two-time Pro Bowler, signed a four-year, $48 million extension in July of 2016 that now looks like a bargain. He's scheduled to make $12 million in base salary this fall and has $250,000 in per-game roster bonuses and a spring workout bonus, the latter of which he's jeopardizing by missing workouts.

The money for top cornerbacks has soared in recent years, with Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard the most recent example. Howard signed a five-year, $76.5 million extension with the Dolphins last week.

Lions mailbag:Reasons why they could surprise, disappoint in 2019

Harrison has two years left on a deal he signed with the New York Giants in 2016 and is scheduled to make $6.75 million this fall and $9 million in 2020. Like Slay, he can earn a $250,000 workout bonus for attending 90% of voluntary practices this spring.

Harrison, who routinely followed his own offseason workout plan while with the Giants, had a transformative effect on the Lions defense after coming to Detroit in a midseason trade last year.

The Lions gave up 57 fewer yards rushing per game with Harrison in the lineup the final 10 games than they did in the first six weeks without him.

Harrison, 30, had 50 tackles and tied a career-high with 3.5 sacks during his time with the Lions last year.

More:Matt Patricia explains what he's wants from Lions backup QBs

Asked what impact not having two of his players has on the rest of the roster this time of year, Patricia said, "I’ve been through this before, too."

"Back in the day I’ve had other great players, really great ones, on my defenses before that just whatever the situation was to them, whether they have offseason routines that are agreed or talked about or kind of just gone through so everybody’s on the same page with all that stuff," he said. "For us it’s just focusing on the guys that are on the field."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.