DETROIT >> Obviously with the loss of Ndamukong Suh, the Lions’ defensive line will change. One of the biggest questions this spring is exactly how different will it be?
Not much. That was the word from Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin at the Lions season ticket holders’ Town Hall meeting at Ford Field on Tuesday night.
“Our goal is to be better than we were last year and if we’re better than last year that means more wins,” Austin said.
He was specifically asked by moderator Dan Miller if they would switch from a 4-3 front to 3-4.
“We’re going to be multiple, it’s what we did last year if you watch the tape,” Austin said.
The basic front was four-man in 2014, the first year under Austin. It did vary with most of the defensive linemen including Ndamukong Suh, Jason Jones and Ziggy Ansah able to play inside or out.
They also threw in some three-man and overload fronts. The way Austin sees it is anything to give the opposing offensive coordinators headaches is good.
“We’ll look a little different, but the objective will remain the same,” said Austin who had the Lions defense ranked second in the NFL at the end of the season.
The Lions defensive line will also be without defensive tackles Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley who each started eight games in 2014.
Austin, Jim Caldwell and the rest of the Lions’ organization are thrilled to have acquired defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in a trade. Austin knew him for three years from their days with the Baltimore Ravens.
“Haloti is a premier run stopper,” Austin said. “I don’t know if there’s a better one in the league.”
Of course Suh, who signed with the Miami Dolphins for six years and $114 million, was still a topic of discussion.
“It is tough. We said many times we wanted to keep Ndamukong and we were optimistic,” team president Tom Lewand said. “The reason we were optimistic is because he told us he wanted to be here.”
Lewand said he wishes Suh the best and that there is no ill will.
It will be an adjustment without him, but optimism reigned at Tuesday night’s function.
“The reality is I’ve had a n opportunity to coach in this league quite a while and you lose players all the time,” Caldwell said. “… More so than anything else it’s how a team responds. I think this team is one that has great focus, great character and they believe in each other.”
They are also big on 24-year-old defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker who was signed as a free agent.
The Lions were prepared in case Suh should leave and were able to set in motion a trade with the Ravens for Ngata.
“There just was not an opportunity in free agency, we didn’t think, to add a player of Haloti Ngata’s caliber,” Lewand said.
Lewand said he was pretty excited to interrupt a coaches’ meeting that day to inform them of the trade.
“It was like Christmas morning and Santa had just come down the chimney,” Lewand said.
Expect Ngata and Walker to start inside along with Ansah and Jones on the outside. Although that could change depending on the draft.
“It should be a formidable front, we’re looking forward to getting going,” Caldwell said.
Players can report on April 20 for offseason conditioning.
The three-day draft starts on April 30.
