Drew Sharp: Ngata trade proves Lions still don't get it

Sacrificing two mid-round 2015 draft picks for aging Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was yet another admission of the Detroit Lions' organizational failure.

These draft picks should be considered useless in Detroit because of general manager Martin Mayhew's inability to regularly find starters from the middle of the draft.

Good teams recognize the value in fourth- and fifth-round picks.

Good teams consistently develop that value, making it much easier parting with a star whose salary investment isn't consistent with the expected level of production.

The Ngata trade underscores why the Baltimore Ravens are one of the NFL's elite franchises and why the Lions struggle maintaining mediocrity.

The Ravens are proactive.

The Lions are reactive.

The Ravens plan. And as a result, they keep advancing forward.

The Lions panic. And as a result, they keep going back and forth.

The Ravens know how the salary cap game works in the NFL. There must be a steady stream of young, inexpensive replacement pieces available – giving them the necessary leverage to demand star players take pay cuts when their cap number grows too high or risk getting cut or traded. Linebacker Terrell Suggs agreed to restructure his contract because he knew the alternative and wanted to remain with a good team.

Ngata didn't. He apparently wasn't willing to restructure the $8.5 million due in the final year of his contract. Baltimore learned last season that it could live well without him when Ngata missed four games due to a suspension. That's why he's a Lion today and the Ravens are happier with two middle-round draft picks.

The Lions were desperate for a big name after losing Ndamukong Suh. Ngata gives them that. He has been a defensive force for the Ravens, anchoring the interior defense that won the Super Bowl in 2013. Ngata's resume helps the Lions further sell the mandate of "The Time is Now" in the aftermath of Suh's absence.

But they're crossing their fingers that time hasn't run out for Ngata. He's 31, having battled in the big boy trenches for nine years. Cap-wise, he'll cost the Lions $8.5 million – more than $10 million less than the average salary Miami will pay Suh. The Lions are only contractually committed for one year. There are no worries about lingering dead money. In Mayhew's mind, he figures he had nothing to lose.

And that's precisely the problem.

He lost plenty in this transaction with two middle-round draft picks that are only considered throwaways with the Lions because that's what they've too often done with them under Mayhew's watch. The good teams win these kind of trades because they appreciate the value of those picks, motivating them to throw away a star who has potentially outlived that allure.

Contact Drew Sharp: dsharp@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @drewsharp.