Kyle Vanden Bosch, entering his third season with the Lions, is coming off one of his better seasons. Here are three reasons Vanden Bosch is a key to the success of the defense.

1. He’s a heckuva defensive end and makes the defensive line a nightmare for opposing teams. He’s a veteran, knows the scheme and produces.

2. He’s such a leader in the locker room that several times in his first season, coach Jim Schwartz would say we didn’t sign him as a leader, but it’s a bonus part of the KVB package. He keeps the younger guys in line. (Admittedly, he has more work to do with Nick Fairley.)

3. Vanden Bosch has a regimen, implemented by Jim Schwartz, that forces him to sit out some practices to rest his 33-year-old body. However, when he is practicing, he is full-go. He’ll chase a player 20 yards downfield and he’ll do it all day long. That’s leadership at work. It’s quite impressive.

(Until the start of training camp, the Lowdown lists will appear daily, Monday through Friday. Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Email her at Paula.Pasche@oakpress.com.)