Ravens trade DT Haloti Ngata to Lions

The Baltimore Ravens have traded veteran defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions.

The Baltimore Ravens have traded defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore will receive fourth-round and fifth-round draft picks from an undisclosed year in exchange for Ngata, according to the NFL Network's Albert Breer.  

The 31 year old has spent his entire nine-year career with the Ravens after being drafted by them in the first round in 2006, starting in 133 of 144 Ravens regular season games since then.

The move will save the Ravens rough $8.5 million from what would have been a $16 million salary cap hit in 2015, according to the Sun. Prior to the trade, the Ravens were reportedly looking to restructure his contract by giving him an extension that lowered the cap.

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The move leaves the Detroit Lions with just under $9 million in cap space in 2015, according to WXYZ radio in Detroit. 

Ngata, a five-time Pro Bowler and won Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens, is set to earn $8.5 million in 2015, which is the final year of his current contract. 

Ngata played 12 games for Baltimore in 2014, recording 35 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks. He missed the final four games of the season after being suspended without pay for taking Adderall, which constituted a violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy.

The addition to Detroit's roster comes as former Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is reportedly set to sign a six-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. 

- Molly Geary