ALLEN PARK -- Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions minicamp practice on Tuesday.

* Last month, we noted Calvin Johnson struggled mightily during an OTA practice, dropping multiple passes and looking like a far cry from the receiver who has dominated NFL cornerbacks the past several seasons. Coming off a pair of offseason surgeries, you knew there might be a little bit of rust, but Tuesday's minicamp session showed that rust is long gone.

Johnson looked like his dominant self, catching every pass thrown his direction. The best was a bomb deep down the middle of the field where the All-Pro got behind cornerback Bill Bentley and backup safety Isa Abdul -Quddus for the touchdown.

* Quarterback Matthew Stafford showed nice touch on the touchdown to Johnson and accurate passes were a theme for all three of the team's quarterbacks during the team portions of practice.

After weeks of seeing the defense dominate practice, it's clear the quarterbacks and receivers are getting more comfortable with Joe Lombardi's offensive scheme. Dan Orlovsky twice threaded intermediate sideline throws between a pair of defenders and Kellen Moore also made good reads and crisp throws all afternoon.

* Back to Bentley, he was obviously beaten by Johnson for the long score, but continued to get his hands on a number of passes, particularly comeback routes in the middle the field. Among Detroit's cornerbacks, no one breaks on a ball quite as well as the third-year nickelback.

* Earlier this offseason, viewing indoor practices from an overhead balcony, it was tough to get a read on Nick Fairley's physique, but with a closer, field-level view during recent outdoor sessions, he's weight loss is very obvious.

During individual drills, Fairley lined up next to Ndamukong Suh to hit the two-man sled. It was just a couple reps, but the duo appeared to be equally explosive coming out of their three-point stance.

* During those same individual drills, defensive end Daryl Tapp emerged as one of the defensive line's vocal presences. Much like another newcomer, cornerback Cassius Vaughn, Tapp serves an important role of raising his teammates' intensity during practice.

* Not surprisingly, the Lions are making their rookies earn their way up the depth chart. Joseph Fauria and Ashlee Palmer remain ahead of Eric Ebron and Kyle Van Noy on the rep chart.

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