In a somewhat shocking move, Haloti Ngata was traded in March on the first day of free agency from the Baltimore Ravens to the Detroit Lions in exchange for two mid-round picks.

Ngata, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Ravens, is quickly settling in with his new club.

"It's exciting, man," Ngata said to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. "I've never been a part of a defense like this. You have so many athletes: J.J., Ziggy, Caraun, Darryl Tapp. You just have so many playmakers all over the front on the D-line. I'm just excited to be a part of it."

It's high praise coming from the five-time All-Pro, who was a central component of the Ravens' ferocious units over the past decade. Ngata will be relied upon for his veteran experience, having captured a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012. Entering his 10th season, he'll be switching from a base 3-4 defense to a 4-3 scheme with the Lions.

"It all depends what you've been doing your whole career," Ngata said. "I've been down in Baltimore a long time and changing to this type of defense it's just exciting. I'm excited to do it and I'm excited to be here. Just can't wait to put the pads on to see how it really feels."