Allen Park — Kelvin Sheppard had never heard Roy Lopez's name before the Detroit Lions visited the Arizona Cardinals last season.

But the former linebackers coach and now first-year defensive coordinator quickly became aware of what Lopez, who signed with the Lions in March after spending two seasons with the Cardinals, was capable of. Former All-Pro center Frank Ragnow and offensive line coach Hank Fraley raved about the defensive tackle, with Ragnow saying, as Sheppard recalled, "That dude’s real, and that’s one of the best noses I’ve gone against this year."

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