Allen Park — The Lions will kick off the voluntary portion of the offseason today, when players report to the team’s practice facility for Phase One of the program. It will be the first time coach Matt Patricia, who was hired by the franchise in February, will meet many of his players face-to-face.
Football-specific drills will have to wait. Patricia and the coaching staff are prohibited from working with the players on the field during Phase One, but he’ll have the opportunity to get in front of the group for the first time and lay out his vision for the future.