Stafford has some good moments

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Matthew Stafford looked spectacular at times, fitting spirals in tight places and delivering pinpoint passes downfield.

It was easy to see why the Detroit Lions took him No. 1 in the NFL draft.

The strong-armed quarterback did, though, look like a rookie once in a while trying to impress his bosses.

He sailed some passes over receiver’s heads and could’ve been picked off more than once.

The true test, of course, will come in about four months when he might be the starting quarterback for the NFL’s first team coming off an 0-16 season.

For now, Stafford is just trying to learn as much as he can about a new offense and league after a whirlwind couple of weeks.

“It was good to play football again, golly, it’s been a while,” he said. “It’s just good to run around with the guys and be part of a team again.”

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Stafford was “overanxious” in his first day on the practice field with the team.

“It’s Matthew and probably 90 percent of the guys out here, when you go through a first practice as, you’re so anxious to get going and you’re out of control,” Schwartz said. “Later in practice, you start settling down.

“We saw that with Matthew, champing at the bit early and wild with some throws. Then, he started settling into a groove and working together with the receivers.”

Stafford was joined in Day 1 of a three-day minicamp by fellow first-round pick tight end Brandon Pettigrew, the rest of Detroit’s selections from last weekend and undrafted prospects such as Demir Boldin and Gerald Riggs Jr.

But without a doubt, most of the eyes during the practice were locked on Stafford.

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