Detroit Lions: What We've Learned Through Week 1 of Training Camp

With the first week in the bag, the Detroit Lions have a lot to feel good about.

Of course, there are still a few questions to be answered. Namely, who will be returning kicks and picking up the third wide receiver snaps? And how long it will take for the offensive line to jell?

But those are the unknowns. Here, we'll keep our focus limited to what we learned from the first few practices.

DeAndre Levy Is Still a Lion, and That's a Good Thing

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Perhaps general manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand learned a lesson last offseason. Or maybe DeAndre Levy wasn't as concerned with his price tag as one of his notable predecessors.

Whatever the case may be, the Lions don't care because they've inked their stud linebacker to a four-year extension.

Levy is arguably the best player left standing on a defense still stocked with talent. While he flies under the radar since he isn't a pass-rusher, his coverage skills are top-notch for his position, as indicated by his six interceptions in 2013.

And when Stephen Tulloch went down early last season, Levy took over. Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus described the particulars here:

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In 2014, Levy took his game to another level, this time as a dominant presence against the run. His run-stop percentage of 14.1 percent dwarfed his previous season numbers and led the league among all outside linebackers. He heads into 2015 with the highest run-stop rating among linebackers at 90.1.

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Detroit has committed $33.7 million to Levy through 2019, with $20 million guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He'll be the eighth-highest-paid outside linebacker, according to Spotrac, which is a fair price for an extraordinary player.

One thing missing from the contract will be any specific prohibitions on extracurricular activities, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While fans might not be holding their breath during the offseason because of legal concerns, Levy isn't going to let anyone exhale with his offseason exploits.

No matter. It's a trade-off the Lions and the fans will willingly make for the next five years.

Ameer Abdullah Looks Ready

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Want to feel good about Detroit's recent draft class? Go to Twitter, search for Ameer Abdullah, grab a pint of your favorite beverage and enjoy.

The timeline is filled with praise. Chris Burke of SI.com—like many of us—had faith that Abdullah's burst and agility would translate well to the league. Now Burke is "positive" that the kid will blow up from the jump.

And that's just the top tweet. It gets even better when you dive into the Detroit News' Dave Birkett's practice notes from the second day.

Birkett described Abdullah's solid day catching the ball and then allowed Martin Mayhew to expand on what makes this year's second-rounder so dangerous:

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The guy's solid running the ball, he catches the ball a lot better than what I thought. They didn't use him a lot in the passing game in college, so we were kind of unsure how good he would be in the passing game. He's going to be really good as a receiver out of the backfield, it's obvious. The guy's got great body control. He's always in control. You never see him off-balance or out of control moving down the field

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Now that your head is swimming—either from the praise or the pints—we'll round out the discussion by dropping Jeff Risdon of Real GM's Reggie Bush comparison from Wednesday night's practice on you: "Tunnel screen to 21, Abdullah takes off in an instant. He's already better than Reggie Bush at that."

That's good to the last drop.

Keeping the Kicker Was Smart

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Nobody cares about the kicker until he costs his team a game. It's safe to say that 2014 ensured the Lions will never forget the loneliest man in football.

Nate Freese and Alex Henery were dreadful. They combined to go 4-of-12, kicking away any chance for wins at Carolina and against the Buffalo Bills.

Detroit decided not to wade into those murky waters again and signed Matt Prater to a three-year deal after he nailed 21 of his 26 field-goal attempts. And he's already making everyone feel at ease.

Prater rocked out at Wednesday night's public practice. Not only did he convert all 10 of his attempts from 30 and 40 yards out, but he also placed three perfectly into the lift the Lions use to tape practice.

That's accuracy that would make Aaron Rodgers blush.

The Butter Goes on the Deep Side of the Bread

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The consensus is that Matthew Stafford is having a solid offseason, making quicker reads and accurate throws. That was to be expected considering the time equity he has invested in the offense.

And it can't hurt that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has seemingly realized what side of the bread his butter goes on.

Stafford aired it out to Calvin Johnson on three occasions Wednesday night. They didn't convert on all three since Stafford overthrew him twice. However, those play calls illustrate an emphasis on exploiting the team's biggest strengths.

There have been reports—such as this tweet from Jeff Risdon—explaining how healthy and dominant Johnson looks this preseason. Considering the caliber of secondary he's working against, Johnson will be well-prepared for the season's toughest tasks, especially if Lombardi lets him and Stafford loose to chase the deep ball.

Riley Reiff: The Rock?

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

We're still so early in the preseason that the Lions have only completed one pads-on practice, so there hasn't been much to work with when evaluating linemen.

But Wednesday night did give Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com a couple of glimpses at left tackle Riley Reiff, who Rothstein thought looked particularly good. Here's what he had to say:

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The offensive and defensive lines can often be judged better with pads on and in the individual 7-on-7 lineman session, left tackle Riley Reiff was dominant during his reps. He went up against defensive end Ezekiel Ansah twice, winning both of those battles. The second one was particularly noticeable because he stonewalled the Lions' best returning pass-rusher. 

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Ezekiel Ansah isn't just Detroit's best pass-rusher; he's one of the most productive in the league. That's a legitimate measuring stick for Reiff.

Obviously, two reps from a seven-on-seven drill don't make a season, but they do add something positive to the foundation for the offensive line. If Reiff takes another step in his development, Detroit won't come anywhere near the 45 sacks allowed last year.

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.