ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions had planned it this way. They had a rising cornerback in Darius Slay and two others they'd send to free agency in a year, so they took a swing in the draft.
They wanted a pair to Slay, and they were willing to wait on him to develop. And so against the expectations and wants of many, they drafted Teez Tabor in the second round last spring.
The Lions said from early on that they didn't view Tabor to be a plug-and-play draft pick, even as high as he was taken.