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The Detroit Lions downed the New York Jets last week in their preseason opener in fairly dominant fashion. How did that game change the outlook of their 53-man roster? Here's my latest 53-man roster prediction (my picks to make the team are in bold and underlined):
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QB Matthew Stafford QB Dan Orlovsky QB Kellen Moore QB Garrett Gilbert RB Joique Bell RB Ameer Abdullah RB Theo Riddick RB George Winn RB Zach Zenner RB Desmond Martin FB Michael Burton FB Emil Igwenagu WR Calvin Johnson WR Golden Tate WR Lance Moore WR Corey Fuller WR Jeremy Ross WR TJ Jones WR Ryan Broyles WR Greg Salas WR Andrew Peacock WR Vernon Johnson WR Jarred Haggins |
TE Eric Ebron TE Brandon Pettigrew TE Joseph Fauria TE Jordan Thompson TE Casey Pierce TE Jacob Maxwell OT Riley Reiff OT LaAdrian Waddle OT Cornelius Lucas OT Michael Williams OT Corey Robinson OT Xavier Proctor OG Laken Tomlinson OG Larry Warford OG Manny Ramirez OG Torrian Wilson OG Al Bond C Travis Swanson C Taylor Boggs C Darren Keyton C Braxston Cave |
DE Ezekiel Ansah DE Jason Jones DE Darryl Tapp DE Devin Taylor DE Larry Webster DE Corey Wootton DE Phillip Hunt DT Haloti Ngata DT Tyrunn Walker DT Caraun Reid DT Gabe Wright DT Jermelle Cudjo DT Roy Philon DT Kerry Hyder DT Jerel Worthy LB DeAndre Levy LB Stephen Tulloch LB Tahir Whitehead LB Kyle Van Noy LB Josh Bynes LB Travis Lewis LB Julian Stanford LB Brandon Copeland LB Kevin Snyder |
CB Darius Slay CB Rashean Mathis CB Nevin Lawson CB Josh Wilson CB Quandre Diggs CB Alex Carter CB Crezdon Butler CB R.J. Stanford CB Chris Owens CB Jocquel Skinner S Glover Quin S James Ihedigbo S Isa Abdul-Quddus S Don Carey S Nate Ness S Isaiah Johnson S Brian Suite S Taylor Mays K Matt Prater K Kyle Brindza P Sam Martin LS Don Muhlbach |
Changes from last time
Taylor Boggs in, Torrian Wilson out - Given that he played so well against the Jets, it was an easy decision to put Boggs on the 53-man roster. Actually, Wilson's inclusion in the first place was based solely on the signing bonus he received as an undrafted free agent. That was before we actually had a chance to see the various interior linemen perform, and one game in, Boggs looks most qualified for the final backup spot on the O-line.
Potential changes down the road
George Winn vs. Zach Zenner - I nearly pulled the trigger on bumping Winn for Zenner, but I need to see more of this position battle before actually making this change. Zenner has certainly looked like a better runner thus far, but Winn is still the better player on special teams, and ultimately that may be more valuable for the Lions.
Jeremy Ross vs. TJ Jones vs. Ryan Broyles - If Lance Moore and Corey Fuller are safe bets to make the team and the Lions only keep five wide receivers -- that seems like a given unless they go thin on offensive linemen -- there's only room for one of Ross, Jones and Broyles. If it were up to me, I'd keep Broyles and plug him into the passing game, but the Lions seem to value Ross more. Part of that stems from Ross' special teams value, but Jones looked pretty impressive returning punts last week. If Jones keeps it up, he could potentially take Ross' spot on the roster.
Larry Webster vs. Corey Wootton vs. Phillip Hunt - Going into training camp, Webster seemed poised for a bigger role in the defensive end rotation. So far, however, Darryl Tapp and Devin Taylor have outperformed him, putting his spot on the team in jeopardy. If Wootton and Hunt come on strong with a solid finish to the preseason, it's not out of the question that Webster could find himself without a roster spot.
Jermelle Cudjo vs. the fifth DE - The Webster/Wootton/Hunt battle assumes that five defensive ends make the team. Cudjo is hoping that doesn't happen, which would open up a path for him to make the 53-man roster instead. It doesn't necessarily feel like the Lions need five defensive tackles on their roster, but if Cudjo does in fact become the next George Johnson, he may make it impossible for the team to cut him.
Alex Carter vs. his injured ankle - There still don't appear to be any spots up for grabs at cornerback, but if Carter's ankle injury continues to linger and he surprisingly ends up on injured reserve, that could open the door for Crezdon Butler or R.J. Stanford to make the roster. That seems highly unlikely at this point considering Carter is expected back sooner than later, but it'll be something to monitor as long as he remains sidelined.