ALLEN PARK -- This isn’t Logan Thomas’ first stint with the Detroit Lions, although you’re forgiven if you don’t quite remember the first.

It was back in 2016, after all, and lasted exactly one day.

“Thirty-six hours,” Thomas says, to be exact.

True. But he also didn’t get in a single practice.

“I was here for a practice,” he said. “But (that’s it).”

My, how times change. Thomas returned to the Lions on a one-year deal this offseason, and no longer looks like a former quarterback trying his hand at tight end. He’s big, he runs well and Detroit has experimented with him in all sorts of looks in OTAs and minicamp. And that includes plenty of time with the first unit.

Jesse James and T.J. Hockenson are the Lions’ top two tight ends, make no mistake about it. But Thomas has looked a lot like their TE3 this offseason, despite the return of Michael Roberts. Then Detroit dealt Roberts to New England this week, further solidifying Thomas’ bid for a job in the rotation.

Jerome Cunningham and seventh-round pick Isaac Nauta are also competing for roles in the back end of that rotation.

“Really smart guy,” coach Matt Patricia said of Thomas this week. "I think his background as a quarterback helps him from an overall concept understanding of different positions. A guy that can do a lot of things out there on the field. Certainly, spring evaluations are always one thing, and we’ll see what it looks like when we get the pads on. As far as a guy that comes in every single day, does what he’s asked to do, works really hard, has learned the playbook very quickly from an information standpoint.

"His execution has been really good, from that aspect of it, so far through the spring. A guy we’re excited about, and we’ll just kind of see how it goes as we progress through, just like all the guys in that room in that situation.”

Thomas was originally known around here as the Virginia Tech quarterback who lost a heart-breaker to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl after the 2011 season. His measureables were always off the charts -- he stands 6-foot-5 and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds, which would have placed third among tight ends at this year’s combine. And there was pressure for him to convert back then, too. But he was adamant about sticking with the quarterback thing.

He was taken by Arizona in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, but couldn’t stick there. He gave it a go with the Dolphins and Giants too, but kept spinning his tires. Finally, as the calls stopped coming in, he decided to give tight end a try and signed with Detroit’s practice squad on Nov. 28, 2016.

One day later, Buffalo called with a spot on the 53-man roster.

“I remember having him in my office, trying to convince him to stay on our practice squad,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn said recently. “Usually, 99 percent of those go the other way (not stay on a practice squad)."

Thomas took the money and the shot at playing time, although struggled to crack the Bills’ rotation in the last two-plus seasons. He didn’t catch a pass in 2016, caught just seven for 67 yards in 2017, then another 12 for 77 yards last season. He’s scored one touchdown.

The Lions, meantime, watched their tight end rotation fall into disrepair. They cut Eric Ebron at the start of free agency last year, then failed in their bid to trade for Rob Gronkowski. Eventually Quinn settled for Luke Willson and Levine Toiolo, and they -- along with Roberts -- went on to form one of the least-effective tight end groups in the league.

Quinn has compensated this offseason by spending big on former Steelers tight end Jesse James in free agency, then adding T.J. Hockenson with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Those guys will lead the rotation in 2019.

But Quinn and the Lions remain high on Thomas’ upside too, and jumped at the opportunity to sign him again when he became available this offseason.

“I always kind of circled back and watched him the last couple of years in Buffalo," Quinn said. "I thought he was a good second-wave guy (as a free agent this year) to add depth to that position. We don’t think he’s kind of hit his ceiling. We think he’ll still have some room to improve in the run game and the passing game.”

Thomas hasn’t looked like a finished project this offseason. But he has looked good. On Thursday, as the Lions practiced for the final time before summer break, Thomas used that length and athleticism to create separation from Tracy Walker and score a nice touchdown during red-zone drills. Teammates hooted and hollered. It was impressive. And it came against the No. 1 defense.

That’s the sort of thing this guy is capable of, and with Roberts now out in Detroit, the Lions seem to think he’s ready to finally deliver.