[jwplayer D63VG6An-ThvAeFxT]

Tuesday’s Detroit Lions practice session was open to the media, so I made the trek to Allen Park to take in the sights and sounds of the first chance to witness the full 2019 Lions squad in action.

Without going into great detail — the media are limited on what we can report during these sessions, something true with all NFL teams — here are some things which stood out on Tuesday’s overcast early afternoon.

The interior offensive line is variable

Last season saw stability with rookie Frank Ragnow at left guard and Graham Glasgow at center. While that might carry over, coach Matt Patricia and the Lions are experimenting with new combinations.

Ragnow played some center in Tuesday’s session, with Glasgow playing at both guard spots at various points. According to pictures published by the Lions, that also happened on Monday, the first day of OTAs (which was closed to the media). Kenny Wiggins, the replacement for T.J. Lang at right guard last season once the now-retired Lang went down with injury, also got work at both guard spots.

Patricia discussed the variability of the line in his pre-practice press conference, noting that this is the right time to experiment. Glasgow played guard in college and Ragnow was a center at Arkansas, so neither is swimming in unfamiliar waters.

After practice, Ragnow talked about the emphasis on cross-training positions and finding the best combination. That reiterates what Patricia said before the practice.

One note: I did not see second-year lineman Tyrell Crosby take any reps inside; he played left tackle exclusively in the portion of practice where the OL was on the nearest practice field. That doesn’t mean he isn’t getting reps at guard or won’t going forward, but I did not see that today.

Backup QB has been upgraded

It’s only one day, but I’ve already seen enough from both Tom Savage and Connor Cook to comfortably declare that either option is better than Matt Cassel and Jake Rudock from a year ago. Cook’s arm and ability to sizzle the ball into small windows was impressive. Savage showed perfect touch on a handful of throws despite working with unfamiliar receivers.

Neither is challenging Matthew Stafford whatsoever, but just seeing one day makes me feel a lot better about the ability to operate the offense. That will be important in preseason games, where Cassel largely struggled to run the passing plays due to his lacking arm. That will not be a problem in 2019.

There are a lot of tight ends

T.J. Hockenson gets all the attention, and rightly so for being a top-10 draft pick. He snagged a high laser from Cook for an impressive red zone TD in drills to announce his presence with authority. But he’s just one of many new faces at tight end.

Free agent signee Jesse James is conspicuous with his size, a legit 6-foot-7. He also has a distinctive gait when he runs. Logan Thomas, Jerome Cunningham and rookie Isaac Nauta all had positive moments in practice.

Then there’s holdover Michael Roberts, who appears to be in a battle to find a roster spot. He was the only TE I didn’t mark a “+” next to on my roster, my system for keeping track of wins/losses during practice. Granted it was a very small sample size on the second day of everyone working in new OC Darrell Bevell’s system, but it’s not an auspicious start for Roberts.

Rookie watch

Those worried about second-round pick Jahlani Tavai’s speed and range would have been pleasantly surprised by the linebacker from Hawaii on Tuesday. He’s not Jarrad Davis as an athlete, but watching Tavai go through drills definitely ameliorates some of the worries about his perceived lack of athleticism. He had no problem whatsoever matching James or RB Theo Riddick’s speed in drills. That’s his role – tight ends and running backs – and he appears just fine for that.

Sixth-round RB Ty Johnson battled the ball as a receiver on a couple of reps. He was not asked to do much as a receiver at Maryland and it shows.

Undrafted WR Tom Kennedy appears to be a carbon copy of past Lions training camp phenom Jace Billingsley. Wearing No. 85, Kennedy seems quite generously listed at 5-foot-11. On the whole, the Lions have gone much smaller at the slot receiver position between Kennedy, presumptive starter Danny Amendola, newcomer Tommylee Lewis and holdover Brandon Powell.

Tidbits

No players left the field of play or appeared to miss reps for any injuries beyond a jammed finger. That’s a definite positive.

Teez Tabor made a great play, stepping in front of the intended receiver and recording an INT which he gleefully ran back all the way from one end zone to the other even though nobody was chasing him.

Players who commit pre-snap penalties are forced into punitive action. That’s pretty common practice; I’ve been to five different NFL team camps since 2015 and have never not seen it other than Jim Caldwell’s tenure with the Lions. The players don’t mind and there is definite pressure from the teammates to get it right.

New RB C.J. Anderson was clad in heavy grey sweats, looking very much like a wrestler trying to make weight. He’s shorter in person than I expected.

Several prominent players, including Trey Flowers, Marvin Jones and Da’Shawn Hand, spent the practice working out on the farthest practice field (there are three fields and we are stationed on the far sideline of the first field). As such, it was tough to take anything of note from them.