Detroit
Lions

Lions Team Report

Updated: May 25, 2012 04:21 EST

You'd think the big no-show news from the first week of organized team activities would involve defensive end Cliff Avril, who still hasn't signed his $10.6 million franchise tender.

But no, it was second-year receiver Titus Young who stole the headlines.

During a voluntary training session at the Lions' practice facility two weeks ago, words were exchanged between Young and safety Louis Delmas. Young lost his temper and sucker-punched Delmas.

Young has not been to the facility since. The Lions balked at reports that he was banned or suspended, and would not comment specifically on the incident or Young's absence.

"This is the voluntary portion of our offseason," coach Jim Schwartz said. "We're not in mandatory minicamp. I am not commenting on which guys are here and which guys aren't. They are all accounted for. We are aware of the reasons each one is not here or not participating and we will work through these things as we go."

Schwartz would not discuss when Young would be back with the team.

"It's one of those things that happen all the time," said veteran receiver Nate Burleson. "When I played in Minnesota, we fought like every other day and that was the closest team I had been on up to that point. A scuffle that happens once at every eight or nine months here, that just shows you how rare it was -- we don't even do it that often."

Burleson did not see the altercation and he deferred questions about Young's return to Schwartz, who did not address the media on Tuesday. But Burleson was adamant that the incident not be blown out of proportion.

"We have a great team here and we hang out more off the field than we do on the field, and that includes TY (Young)," Burleson said. "When he gets back to work it will be business as usual. We're not concerned. There isn't any cancer on this team or anybody that's dragging us down.

"We have a strong team here that's headed in the right direction."

Nationally, the Lions have a reputation as a talented but immature team. The on-field blowups of Ndamukong Suh, Young and others last year, plus the three marijuana-related arrests this offseason to Mikel Leshoure, Nick Fairley and Johnny Culbreath -- all, like Young, members of the 2011 draft class -- have fueled the reputation.

Burleson isn't buying it.

"I am not going to start questioning the organization and the people they have selected to come here because of a couple mistakes," he said. "In life that is going to happen, especially when you are young. I just hope people don't listen to exaggerated stories and I hope they realize that we all make mistakes."

--Linebacker Stephen Tulloch is not likely to win this battle. He would love to be back on the field when the Lions start mandatory minicamp in June but from the sound of it, the coaching staff is going to keep him out until training camp.

"I feel good," said Tulloch, who is nursing tendinitis in his left knee. "I will miss a couple of OTAs but I will be ready. I've never missed a game in my career. I know what it takes to take care of my body. I know what I need to do to get right and be able to give 100 percent."

The Lions made a five-year, $25.5 million commitment to Tulloch in March, so they want to make sure his streak of 96 straight games played continues. Coach Jim Schwartz estimated on Monday that Tulloch could be out three to four weeks.

"I would like to be there," Tulloch said. "It's hard for me not to be out there with the guys. There is nothing like being out there. I am trying to push to it. They (the coaches) are trying to slow me down and I am trying to speed up."

--Also missing the first two days of OTAs were linebacker DeAndre Levy and safety Amari Spievey.

"There will be guys who miss for a variety of reasons," Schwartz said. "The one thing you don't want to do at this time of year is push through an injury situation. There comes a time when you have to push through, during the season and even in training camp. Now the really important thing is getting right and getting healthy."

--Being banned from the OTAs wasn't the only sanction against wide receiver Titus Young. Young was not among a group of receivers invited to attend the Tigers-Pirates game Friday night (May 18) to watch Calvin Johnson throw out the first pitch. Johnson invited all the receivers to watch the game with him in a suite -- all but Young. It is not known if the invite was pulled by the team or by Johnson himself. Johnson was asked where Young was on Friday and he responded, "We can't talk about that."

--Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he hasn't yet pinpointed what he needs to work on following what he called an "indifferent" second season.

"Right now, it's just going through the rough spots and trying to get the rust off," he said. "I haven't defined anything yet that I want to work on, nothing that I saw last year that I was lacking in."

Suh followed up a 66-tackle, 10-sack rookie season with 36 tackles and four sacks. He got more notoriety for his personal fouls and two-game suspension than he did for his work on the field. He was asked, in light of what happened last year, if this was an important season for him.

"It is a very important year for myself," he said. "Every year I want to out-do the previous year. My rookie year was good. Last year was indifferent. This year we have an opportunity to have an outstanding year. But, again, it doesn't really matter because it's a team game. I want to win. That's all I want to do."

--Suh was asked why he decided to take part in the Fox Network's reality dating show "The Choice," which debuts on June 7. "We'll just have to wait and see," he said. "There was no particular rhyme or reason why I went on it. It was just something fun. I enjoyed it."

--Special teams player Don Carey has been taking reps exclusively at safety thus far in OTAs. He played cornerback last season.

--Rookie Riley Reiff, the 23rd overall pick, has worked at left tackle on the second unit through the first two days of OTA. Jeff Backus took all the first team reps.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I don't want to speak for the guys who got busted but it's just too easy to be immature. It's always been that way. You are young and it's the NFL and it's the big time and you got money -- it's just too easy to be stupid." -- Kicker Jason Hanson on the offseason drug arrests of three second-year players.

MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: DE Cliff Avril (tendered at $10.605 million).

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYERS: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--OG Leonard Davis won't be back. The Lions brought the veteran former Pro Bowler in last season for three reasons -- as insurance against injury, to push starter Stephen Peterman and to take an extended look at him to determine if he'd fit in the plans for 2012. It appears the answer to No. 3 is no, he does not fit.

--WR Rashied Davis was a stabilizing force on the special teams once he got healthy. He was also a stabilizing and at times hilarious presence in the locker room. But, he will be 33 and that will give the Lions some pause.

--LB Isaiah Ekejiuba was another vital special teams player who was lost early; in Week 3. He will be 31 in October and it seems like there's still a lot of good football left in him, but the Lions are expected to revamp their linebacker core again and will be looking for younger special teams aces.

--S Chris Harris won't be back. If the Lions needed a run-stopping specialist, they would probably re-sign Harris without hesitation. But they aren't looking for one-dimensional defensive backs. Harris' inability to protect the back end against deep throws was exposed over and over last season -- in Chicago and in Detroit.

--CB Brandon McDonald went from the starting nickel back in training camp to being released in Week 14 to being brought back for the final two regular-season games and actually played the entire second half against Green Bay. But the Lions are looking to upgrade the entire secondary so it's doubtful McDonald is in the plans.

--RB Maurice Morris' time in Detroit is probably over. After productive years in 2009 and 2010, Morris seemed to lose a step last year. His numbers were similar (4.0 yards per carry) but he was unable to take charge of the position after Best, Jerome Harrison, and then Smith were injured. He will be 33 in December and it seems likely the Lions will not re-sign him.

--WR Maurice Stovall won't be back. The Lions didn't get what they were expecting in Stovall. He didn't tackle consistently enough to be a force on special teams and by the end of the season was used on offense in run plays only. He caught just one pass all season.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED

--WR Ryan Broyles (2/54): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--CB Bill Bentley (3/85): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--DE Ronnell Lewis (4/125): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--LB Tahir Whitehead (5/138): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--CB Chris Greenwood (5/148): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--CB Jonte Green (6/196): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--LB Travis Lewis (7/223): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--LT Jeff Backus: UFA; $5.85M/2 yrs, $1.5M SB.

--S Erik Coleman: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--DT Andre Fluellen: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--P Ben Graham: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--TE Will Heller: FA; 1 yr, had been released by Lions; terms unknown.

--DT Sammie Hill: RFA tendered at $1.26M with fourth-round pick as compensation); $1.26M/1 yr.

--QB Shaun Hill: UFA; $5.5M/2 yrs, $1M SB.

--OT Corey Hilliard: RFA tendered at $1.26M with sixth-round pick as compensation); $1.26M/1 yr.

--LB DeAndre Levy: RFA tendered at $1.927M with second-round pick as compensation); $1.26M/1 yr.

--LS Don Muhlbach: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--LB Ashlee Palmer: Not tendered as RFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--RB Kevin Smith: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--MLB Stephen Tulloch: UFA; $25M/5 yrs, $$6.5M SB/11M guaranteed.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--DE Everette Brown: FA Chargers; terms unknown.

--CB Jacob Lacey: Not tendered as RFA by Colts; 1 yr, terms unknown.

PLAYERS LOST

--LB Bobby Carpenter: UFA Patriots; $775,000/1 yr, $50,000 SB.

--QB Drew Stanton: UFA Jets; $1.25M/1 yr, $500,000 SB.

--CB Eric Wright: UFA Buccaneers; $37.5M/5 yrs, $15.5M guaranteed.