Every day during training camp, Lions beat writer Dave Birkett takes you inside practice at Allen Park with notes, quotes and observations of interest.

• Today's afternoon practice was special-teams only, and if you're coming out for one of the public practices in the next two weeks please realize it means exactly that — only special teams players take part. You still may get some autographs at the end, but you won't see Calvin Johnson or Roy Williams or Jon Kitna on the field.

• Now, for the topic du jour, Williams was asked earlier if he thinks there's a better receiving tandem than him and a healthy Calvin Johnson. His answer: "Yes, I do. Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie Wayne are up there, and Chad (Johnson) and T.J. (Houshmandzadeh), I put them in front of us. We haven't proven ourselves as a duo yet. So I put those two in front of us, but we do have the best four wide receivers in the league."

• Give it to Roy, he's honest. He also spoke glowingly about Johnson, who I still contend was the right draft choice with the No. 2 overall pick last year. "I just hope we can run the football and bring that safety down and that guy's going to run by every corner in this league," Williams said. "Like I said before, he's the Randy Moss of this league when Randy Moss was in his beginnings."

• An afternoon injury update: Manny Ramirez could return as early as Monday from a mild knee sprain. Same for Langston Moore (shoulder) and same for Brian Kelly, who had fluid drained from his left knee recently. Artose Piner also missed practice Friday with a stiff neck.