Haloti Ngata might not be Ndamukong Suh, but he's not too bad of a replacement for the Detroit Lions.
The Baltimore Ravens traded Ngata, the massive defensive tackle, to Detroit. That effectively replaces Suh on the Lions' line.
Ngata is a two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler. He's almost impossible to move in the middle, an impossibly athletic 340-pounder. The Ravens tried to work out a restructured contract with Ngata, but traded him when that didn't happen according to the Baltimore Sun. He had an $8.5 million base salary due this season. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com said the Lions sent fourth- and fifth-round picks for Ngata.
It's obviously a big blow to the Ravens, who have been the only team Ngata has played with for his nine NFL seasons. Ngata was a dominant force in the middle of the defense. He just turned 31, but the Lions clearly feel he still has some good years left.
The Lions' defense won't be the same without Suh, who agreed to a deal with the Miami Dolphins before free agency officially began on Tuesday. But replacing him with a five-time Pro Bowl tackle is a nice consolation.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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