Tracy Walker likes to smile, though he rarely smiled last season. He mostly sighed and shook his head as he spiraled in Matt Patricia's defense. He smiled on Monday when asked if he sees himself as a foundational piece of the Lions' new defense under Aaron Glenn.
"I wouldn’t mind," he said. "I definitely see myself, but I gotta control what I can control. Anything can happen. I go out here and give it my all to these guys."
By these guys, Walker meant his coaches. He meant Glenn, Dan Campbell and DB's coach Aubrey Pleasant. Glenn and Pleasant, in particular, have reshaped the trajectory of Walker's career. As he approaches free agency, the 26-year-old looks more like the ball-hawking, pad-popping safety he was his first two seasons in Detroit.
"We have a hell of a defensive staff," Walker said. "For me, I love playing under these coaches. I love coming to work every day. I love the game plan."
The game plan last season under Patricia and former defensive coordinator Cory Undlin was, to put it kindly, odd. The Lions clipped Walker's wings and deployed him mostly in the box, despite watching him thrive the two years prior as a traditional free safety. And Walker struggled. Badly. He graded out as one of the five worst safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Glenn has righted Patricia's wrong. Walker is back to playing most of his snaps at free safety -- close to 70 percent of them, compared to 16 percent last year -- and back to making plays.
"Tracy Walker," Campbell said Tuesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show, "is playing as good as any safety in the league right now."
That can be debated. Walker's actually coming off his worst game of the season according to Pro Football Focus, though he did lead the Lions in tackles in their loss to the Browns. The advanced metrics loved his play early on, not so much of late. Walker ranked fifth among all safeties through the first five weeks of the season with a PFF grade of 83.5. He ranks 114th with a grade of 53.6 since. He's 33rd overall. Make of that what you will.
Fact is, Walker is a better player and a happier person under Glenn and the rest of Detroit's new coaching staff.
"I love the energy he brings, Walker said. "I love the way he puts me in position to make plays. Speaking on personal experience, I love that he allows his players to make plays. I feel like we got a coach that we’re going to go out there and play for. We’re going to give it our all regardless.
"Bottom line, we have a great coaching staff. Our record doesn’t show it obviously. People see 0-9 and they’re just like, 'Oh my gosh, the Lions suck.' But nah, we’re in every game. We’re fighting and competing and giving it our all."
Detroit's secondary has enjoyed a surge after the bye. The Lions have allowed a passer rating of 64.2 in their last two games, albeit against a backup in Mason Rudolph and a banged-up Baker Mayfield. They'll see another backup on Thanksgiving in Chicago's Andy Dalton. Maybe Walker can help Detroit land its first win of the season.
Where Walker lands his next deal remains to be seen. He's certainly in line for a raise after playing out his $3.5 million rookie contract. The Lions can afford to pay him much more than they can afford to lose him. Their defense is in no position to let talent walk out the door. The former coach and GM already sent enough of it packing.
Walker said last month he wasn't worried about contract talks. He said "if upstairs wants to keep me here, they know how to reach out to my agent." He said he would let his play speak for itself. He smiled again on Monday and said, "God willing, I’ll be here. If not, so be it. I’ll go take my talents elsewhere.
"But I hope I’m here."