ALLEN PARK T.J. Jones Jersey , Mich. (AP)Darius Slay lost his footing in coverage and landed on the grass. He limped off the field, trying to keep weight off his right leg.The Detroit Lions cornerback was evaluated on the sideline and after rubbing and pointing to his right knee, he returned to practice Wednesday.Was it scary, possibly getting injured early in training camp?”No,” Slay insisted. ”It wasn’t nothing at all.”After sitting out briefly, Slay eased his way back into slower-paced drills. He was later running full speed to keep up with Detroit’s wide receivers such as Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.”They’re true competitors,” Slay said. ”I work with them every day and I enjoy working with them. We’re just trying to strive to get better.”Slay and the receivers take turns making plays throughout practice. One moment Kerry Hyder Jersey , Slay’s blanketing coverage is enough to prevent a completion. Another time, Matthew Stafford might thread a pass past him and into the hands of a well-covered receiver.”With Darius, you know you have to bring it every single play,” Tate said. ”He’s very fast. He’s very quick, and his knowledge of the game grows every day.”When we go across from each other, our goal is to embarrass each other.”Slay emerged as one of the NFL’s top cover cornerbacks last season and earned All-Pro honors.The Lions did not have many dependable cornerbacks in recent decades, but that changed with at least one key player five years ago. And Zach Zenner Jersey , they’ve paid him well to keep him around. Slay is in the second season of a $50 million, four-year contract.Detroit drafted Slay 36th overall in 2013. He had a career-high eight interceptions last season, tying Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard for the most in the NFL.The season seemed to validate the swagger he has played with in the league.”It’s just a natural thing,” he said. ”You either got it or you don’t.”— With free agency about a month away, the Detroit Lions are getting a head start on re-signing some of their own players before their contracts officially expire. The team announced Monday afternoon that linebacker Steve Longa and Mitchell Loewen have re-signed with the team for the 2019 season.Both Longa and Loewen were exclusive right free agents (ERFA), meaning the Lions had the opportunity to offer both extremely cheap one-year deals, and the players would either have to accept the contract or sit out the entire 2019 season. The team did not announce contract terms Quandre Diggs Jersey , so it’s unclear if they received those ERFA offers. Charles Washington is also an ERFA, so the fact that he hasn’t re-signed with the team yet is notable.Longa has been part of the Lions roster since 2016, working mostly as a backup linebacker and a valued piece on special teams. Last year, Longa missed the entire season after suffering a torn ACL during Detroit’s preseason game against the New York Giants.Loewen, on the other hand, was a very late addition to the roster on 2018. After going undrafted in 2016, Loewen spent the next three seasons with the New Orleans Saints. However Theo Riddick Jersey , the Lions claimed him off waivers just days before their season finale against the Packers, assuming his rights in the offseason. In three years, he has only made three game appearances, and has not registered a tackle in the NFL yet. For a list of the Lions’ remaining free agents, check it out here.
