Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell excited by "improved" Matthew Stafford

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has become a better player in training camp, according to coach Jim Caldwell.

Stafford has struggled to get near his 2011 total of 41 touchdowns, and threw 22 last season, which ended when the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the wildcard game.

However, Caldwell has admitted that he is excited about his team's offense ahead of the new campaign.

He told MLive.com: "He's improved. He has a better feel for the system. You can see our timing's better, receivers have a better sense of the routes that they're running. All around I think we've made some improvement.

"I mean, it's obviously always a work in progress. But there's no question we've taken strides forward this spring."

Stafford has been with the team since 2009.