Detroit Lions Replace Suh With Haloti Ngata

Oct 26, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata (92) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Losing Ndamukong Suh was viewed as a death knell for the Detroit Lions defense.  Apparently it didn’t take for them to recover from the loss.  GM Martin Mayhew took advantage of the situation by trading for Baltimore Ravens star nose tackle Haloti Ngata.

It’s being reported that the Ravens gained two NFL Draft picks with the deal, a 4th and 5th round pick. Considering the team was going to either cut or restructure the lineman’s contract, they win in a big way here.

This is a huge development for the Lions.  Ngata has remained one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL for years.  The 2014 season was no different.  He posted a strong +18.4 grade on Pro Football Focus with two sacks, 30 tackles and rated highly against the run.  Provided the Lions can also retain Nick Fairley they have accomplished their overall objective which was to keep the interior of their defensive line dominant.

Grade:  A

How can you not like this move? After all, both teams win. Detroit gets their much-needed replacement for Suh — Baltimore gets Ozzie Newsome’s ever-so-coveted Draft picks to work with. It’s safe to say neither of these teams are walking away upset.

If anything, both teams might be sending each other gifts once all calms down!

Joe Wedra contributed to this article.

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