Allen Park — Lions center Travis Swanson hesitated briefly when asked how Nick Fairley looks in St. Louis.
“Nick,” Swanson said, “looks skinny.”
A first-round pick by Detroit in 2011, Fairley will play against his former team for the first time when the Lions visit the Rams (1 p.m., Fox), and Fairley will look much different than he did with the Lions for a couple of reasons.
First, Fairley said he’s playing at 281 pounds, more than 20 pounds lighter than his typical playing weight in Detroit. His weight fluctuated when he was with the Lions, and his inability to stay in shape led to him briefly losing his starting job before the 2014 season.