Lions OTA observations: Energy sky high, absences plentiful, defensive line productive

Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ OTA practice on Friday, the first of the offseason open to the media.

● Let’s start with a vibe check.

Somewhat surprisingly, given it’s still May, the energy for this practice was off the charts, in large part due to the revamped coaching staff constantly bickering with each other before, during, and after snaps. That carried over to most of the players on the sidelines, who were animatedly reacting to the result of each play.

The energy was generally positive, and there were minimal instances of post-whistle extracurriculars. Linebacker Grant Stuard took exception to the way Taylor Decker picked up a blitz, with the defender losing his helmet while being held back by teammates, and tight end Brock Wright and safety Morice Norris got tangled up for several seconds after one play was blown dead.

Still, if this intensity carries over to camp, it wouldn’t be surprising to see things getting a little more heated between the offense and defense than in years past.

● There was a large group of players not participating in practice. Coach Dan Campbell rattled off a list before the session, comically injecting special adviser to ownership Chris Spielman and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson into the rundown.