ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions rookie defensive lineman Nick Fairley is making progress as he recovers from surgery on his left foot.
Fairley was walking around Tuesday with a protective boot on the injured foot. The defensive tackle missed the Lions' preseason opener, but at least now he's able to move around and be with the team on the field during practice.
"He got the cast off of his foot. Now he's in the walking boot, so now he can walk around," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "You can't have a guy that's on crutches that can't walk around out there."
Fairley didn't have much to say about his injury, but he's clearly putting in the effort to stay involved in team activities.
"Right now, I'm taking it day by day. I'm in the treatment room, trying to get back as fast as I can," said Fairley, a first-round draft pick. "I just use this time more to be in the film room, getting my mental reps."
The Lions have endured their share of injuries during training camp, but they looked impressive while beating the Cincinnati Bengals 34-3 last week. They visit the Cleveland Browns on Friday night.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who was nursing a minor problem with his left shoulder, practiced Tuesday, but now cornerbacks Eric Wright and Chris Houston are recovering from groin problems.
And then there's Fairley, who's hoping to team up with Ndamukong Suh to form an imposing duo of defensive tackles. The Lions selected Fairley with the No. 13 overall pick, and he entered the draft after winning the Lombardi Award as a junior at Auburn.
"It's funny to watch him in meetings," Suh said. "He's not going through anything, but he's blurting out answers and just interacting with other guys, particularly myself and the D-tackles."
The Lions have health concerns on the other side of the ball, too. Offensive lineman Jeff Backus (pectoral injury) and rookie wide receiver Titus Young (hamstring) have been out. Rookie running back Mikel Leshoure tore his left Achilles' tendon and will miss the season.
But quarterback Matthew Stafford looks fine after offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder, and running back Jahvid Best seems OK after being bothered by toe problems last season.
"I haven't even thought about his physical problems," Schwartz said of Best. "I think he looks good. He looks like Jahvid Best."
Best led the Lions in rushing last season with 555 yards as a rookie. Although Stafford, Johnson and wide receiver Nate Burleson looked in sync against the Bengals, the running game remains a concern.
Best tried to provide some reassurance on that front.
"We're not too worried about it," Best said. "We've only had pads on for about a week and a half now, so you can't really work on the run game until you do that. We know throughout the preseason it's going to get better and better."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
