ALLEN PARK -- It’s a big day in Detroit, and not just for those who still have to file their taxes. (Sorry, mom. I’m on it.)

Lions players will begin reporting to team headquarters today for the start of the team’s offseason conditioning program. Attendance is voluntary, but most players usually show up. Jarrad Davis, Devon Kennard, Miles Killebrew, Graham Glasgow, Theo Riddick, Matt Prater, Marvin Jones, Kerryon Johnson and star free-agent signing Trey Flowers were among the early confirmed attendees.

And coach Matt Patricia is ready to rock, after a late hire last year (because of the Super Bowl) compressed an already hectic schedule.

This year, time and experience have allowed him to better prepare for the first wave of player arrivals.

“I don’t want to say the pace is slower (this time around), but it’s obviously very different,” Patricia said recently. "When you kind of come off where I was last year, into the Super Bowl run and trying to get here and figure everything you -- you’re trying to figure out the building, you’re trying to figure out players, coaches. All of it is coming at you really fast. Obviously, a lot of it you can’t get done in one year.

“It’s been good just to kind of have a plan of attack from the end of the season to now, really as far as what we need to go, take a good look at the team, evaluate the team from the standpoint of the players, evaluate the coaches, evaluate things in the building that we want to improve on to make it better for the players. Just a lot more, I think, the flow of things has been a lot better.”

Teams aren’t allowed to hold coach-led drills during the first phase of the offseason program, with activities limited to strength, conditioning and physical rehabilitation (although nothing’s stopping Matthew Stafford from spraying a few footballs for guys to shag). Teams can move into Phase 2 of their offseason program after two weeks, and begin holding on-field workouts that include individual player instruction and drills.

The Lions will hit the practice field for their first batch of Organized Team Activities from May 20-21 and May 23, then return for another May 29-31. They’ll hold mandatory minicamp June 4-6, then the final OTAs June 10-13 before breaking for the summer.