ALLEN PARK -- One reporter approached Michael Roberts, then another and another. Eventually a small group crowded at his locker.

Everyone wanted to know why he had missed meetings the night before the Lions' season finale. And Roberts answered all the questions every single time.

"We are professionals, and I did something unprofessional," he said. "It wasn't like I intentionally missed it. But it happened. Got to be a man about it, and got to pay for it."

Roberts copped to sleeping through meetings Saturday night, which prompted then-coach Jim Caldwell to send him home and ban him from Ford Field. He didn't make excuses when pressed on how that happened, just repeated that he's a grown-up and can't make mistakes like that.

"It's extremely frustrating," he said. "I just got to handle business, and come back next year a dog. A beast."

Roberts was neither dog nor beast in his rookie season, but he was promising. He caught more touchdowns than any other tight end in the country his last year at Toledo, but with Eric Ebron in the lineup, Detroit wanted him more as a blocker in Year 1. And his blocking was a major project.

But to Roberts' credit, he worked at it hard with position coach Al Golden. And by year's end, he was actually pretty good. That includes levying key blocks on a pair of Theo Riddick touchdowns late in the season.

He also caught four passes for 46 yards, and showed a versatile skill-set that has a whole lot of people in Allen Park excited by his future. Of course, he also has to make sure he remembers to set his alarm.

"I talked with the people upstairs," he said. "We cool. Just gonna work hard this offseason, because next year I'm going to be a dog, a beast."