Lions' Ngata seeking larger role in 2016

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata wants a larger role on the defense entering the 2016 season.

Ngata was acquired by the Lions in a March 2015 trade with the Baltimore Ravens, leaving the franchise that he spent the first nine years of his career with. Now that he's settled in, Ngata is looking to make his imprint on the club.

"I'm here, family's here so I don't really have to worry about trying to find a house or where we’re going to stay, traveling back and forth. I've been here all off-season and it’s just been great," Ngata said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

The five-time Pro Bowler recorded 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three pass deflections in 14 starts last year, quickly emerging as a staple of the Lions' re-tooled defensive line.

Ngata is the elder statesman of the defense, a distinction that he carries with pride.

"I'm really the oldest guy now with (Darryl) Tapp and JJ (Jason Jones) being gone,” Ngata said. "Now we got Wallace Gilberry, but he's new here so it just makes it a bigger role for myself. But having guys like Ziggy (Ansah) and Devin (Taylor), who's been here, it's great to have those guys."

Ezekiel Ansah emerged as a genuine superstar last season, while the Lions drafted defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson in the second round, a player that many thought would've gone in the first. As a result, Ngata is optimistic about what the front seven can achieve this season.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," Ngata said. "Just to see the competition, how it rolls along, it’s going to be exciting. We have so many good guys — great guys — that can be great players. It's going to be hard to tell who’s going to come out because we got so many good guys right now."