Part of that faith is rooted in the team watching how Barnes attacked rehab last year. He stuck around the facility, and instead of sulking, he went to work off the field to try to become a better student of the game.
"Over the years D. Barnes has progressed year in, year in, year in and year in," linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton said. "Ok, now that injury set him down and allowed him to sit back and be even more of a student of the game. Fast forward to now. It's Year 5 now, and you watch the game and maybe things he didn't see, he's seeing it because he's had that time and maximized it.
"He wasn't just sitting on the couch and feeling sorry for himself. He's had a chance to really mature, and I think this year is going to be a good season for him, and he's going to take his game to the next level. It's a credit to him for being a student of the game and maximizing the time when he wasn't able to be on the field."
Barnes took part in Detroit's offseason training program this spring and will be a full participant come the start of training camp in July. It can't be overstated how important that is for this defense as they continue implementing Sheppard's vision.
As the Lions found out last year after Barnes went down, it takes a unique player to fill that SAM role in their defense and they missed his versatility. Barnes has a new contract and a deep appreciation for how he's viewed as a player in Detroit. If Hamilton is right and Barnes is set to take his game to another level, that will be huge for this defense.