Rounding Up the Latest Detroit Lions Offseason Buzz

This time of year brings an excessive amount of optimism. And what bad news is leaked—like one certain nugget concerning the Detroit Lions front office—is usually covered with enough spin that it takes a double major in mining engineering and archaeology to unearth its true meaning.

But the hope radiating from every camp, including those in Jacksonville and Oakland, are warranted in a way. There are always mystery teams that jump into the postseason fray, and every team is undefeated at this point. Well, except for the San Francisco 49ers. Yikes.

So let's take a spin around the Web to find the latest Lions stories and dig up the truth.

Darius Slay Is Detroit's Secret Superstar

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Pro Football Focus runs a series called "Secret Superstars." The site names one player on each team who doesn't get the national credit he deserves. Darius Slay is this year's Lion. 

Bryson Vesnaver's piece is a fun read packed with Slay's history and his areas of improvement. Here's an excerpt that nails the high points:

"

On the year, Slay played 97% of the Lions’ defensive snaps, far more than the 33% he played in his rookie season. His overall grade of +7.2 was 16 among corners this past season. That grade was also the highest among any corner that were thrown at over 100 times. Despite being a speed corner, Slay showed he wasn’t afraid to hit, finishing in the Top 20 in tackles and Run Stop Percentage among corners.

"

If the series featured breakout stars, wide receiver Golden Tate would have given Slay a run for his recognition. However, everyone knows how well Tate performed last season because of fantasy football and the visibility of the wide receiver position.

Conversely, only local fans know Slay was a beast in 2014. The casual NFL observer doesn't.

A deeper dive reveals a couple of gems that further illustrate how far Slay has come. He allowed a passer rating of 118.1 with four touchdowns and four passes defensed on his targets in 2013. His sophomore season saw the first two numbers drop to 79.6 and three while his passes defensed spiked to nine.

Another year in defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's scheme should bring more improvement for the upward-trending Slay. And that should enable him to shed the secret label and line up for a large payday.

Caraun Reid Suh-Ted Up

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Lions might have lost Ndamukong Suh, but one defensive tackle is doing everything he can to pick up the All-Pro's hustle.

Last year's fifth-round pick, Caraun Reid, has been working out with Suh during the offseason, both in the weight room and the film room. Reports of his new body shape had already come to light at OTAs, but Kyle Meinke of MLive gave the backstory and Reid's take on the situation:

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I mean, he's the best at what he does. He's the best in the world for a really big reason: He takes everything seriously. He has a great regimen. On the field, he's relentless. There's no one way you can describe him. There's no one attribute. He's just all-around dominant, and he knows the game. He studies the game. He loves the game.

So that's what I learned from him, and try to emulate.

"

Reid wasn't much of a factor last year. He started the season as the fourth defensive tackle, but considering he played 48 fewer snaps than Andre Fluellen, it might be more accurate to call him the fifth.

In sum, Reid finished with three hurries, two tackles and one batted pass. 

But none of that matters now, and it wasn't particularly surprising for a mid-round selection. He was often overpowered by the competition. Reid wasn't playing in the Ivy League anymore.

Now his new understanding of the game combined with a better physical stature has him fighting for the open spot next to Haloti Ngata. While he could fall short of that goal, Suh's mentoring can only be seen as a positive for the developing defensive tackle.

Michael Williams Is Trying to Make Moves

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Every time I write one of these slideshows, everyone wants to know what's up with Michael Williams. The former Alabama tight end who now plays offensive tackle hasn't garnered much press, presumably because of his project status. 

But Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com shed some light on the subject. 

Williams told Twentyman that "[i]t’s like night and day from where I started last year," adding that he "feel[s] good. He also elaborated that "[t]he kick set is the biggest adjustment."

OK, it was more of a soft glow than an illuminating beam. However, the team has him running with the second and third teams, per Twentyman, and he's "in the mix" for the last tackle spot.

The Lions have remade the tackle position over the past three years. There will be a lot of competition for the four roster spots dedicated to the position, three of which are set in stone with Riley Reiff, LaAdrian Waddle and Cornelius Lucas. That means Williams will have to beat out this year's seventh-round pick, Corey Robinson, to make the 53-man roster.

The Price Isn't Wright

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Lions appear to be set at tight end from the outside. Eric Ebron will handle the move duties, Brandon Pettigrew will be the hybrid who brings the best blocking (theoretically), and Joseph Fauria has a chance to contribute in different areas as well.

One former reporter turned blogger shared my intrigue regarding Detroit putting in a claim for Tim Wright, who was recently cut by the New England Patriots:

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Interesting that the #Lions put in a claim for Tim Wright. I thought TE was a big strength with Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron and J. Fauria

— NFC North Bar Room (@AldoBarkeeper) June 15, 2015"

The real reason for the claim will probably be kept under wraps. If there is a comment, I'd bet a bottle of nice scotch and my "Dirk Is My Homeboy" T-shirt that the front office will declare competition as the culprit. And it'll be a fine rationale.

But all might not be well in Detroit.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reminded us the Lions have never fully bought Fauria's excuse for his injury. He quoted general manager Martin Mayhew, who said, "[t]hat's what he told me, so I take it for what it was," in reference to Fauria's dog story. Mayhew also added, "I trust all our players until they give me a reason not to trust them."

As I said, competition would have been enough of a reason for the addition. Tim Wright has caught 80 balls for 830 yards and 11 touchdowns in his two-year career. He might very well be an upgrade over Fauria, who still hasn't fully practiced yet after his ankle injury. But for a team that values integrity and character, you have to wonder if the precocious Fauria isn't wearing out his welcome.

Bringing Back the Bombs

Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

It turns out chicks still dig the long ball. As do quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press recently spoke to Lombardi specifically about this topic and quoted Detroit's offensive architect thusly:

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I don't know if it's as much as me calling them as it is just the comfort level of the quarterback knowing (when to throw deep). I think Matt, to his credit, was careful last year at times and there (were) times maybe where he could have pulled the trigger where he didn't, being a little bit safer.

I don't think that's as much just not being willing to or wanting to as much as like, 'Hey, I don't have as much time on task with this look as I do now.' So, I think he's already thrown some really good balls into some tight windows that you like to see. That helps you be more productive.

"

Lombardi's point is well taken. It's also been echoed by backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who told Kyle Meinke of MLive that "[i]t's a big, big deal." A quarterback who can anticipate rather than process is a signal-caller capable of putting up big numbers since he can attack instead of react.

There have been plenty of film-study pieces that have dug into Stafford's hesitancy, like this one from Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman. There were also other occurrences where it took Stafford too long to process the play itself, which was a contributing cause for the 45 sacks he endured.

Now that Stafford has a handle on where everyone is going to be, it's time for him to read the defense and let it rip with knowledge of the outcome before he even releases the ball. It's time for Stafford to rediscover his edge.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.