The Detroit Lions had their first open practice of the Matt Patricia era on Thursday, their third of eight scheduled organized team activities, and it was the media's first chance to get a glimpse of both Patricia's new defense and how things will be run under the first-year coach.
With the caveat that our vantage point isn't the best, confined to a set of metal bleachers on the far east side of three fields laid next to each other (where much of the action happens on the middle field 50-plus yards away), and that OTAs are non-contact practices where coaches often have specific points of emphasis to work on, here are some initial thoughts:
• First, as promised, the Lions used a mix of odd- and even-man fronts in Thursday's workout.