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With just one week left in the preseason, and cuts down to 75-men imminent, the Detroit Lions roster is beginning to take form. With each preseason game played, the Lions’ plan becomes more clear and the Pride Of Detroit staff is inching closer to consensus regarding players once regarded as a toss-up on the roster. With that in mind, here are our latest bubble watch predictions.
Offense
| QB Jake Rudock | RB Dwayne Washington | RB George Winn | WR TJ Jones | WR Jay Lee | WR Andre Roberts | TE Andrew Quarless | TE Matthew Mulligan | G Geoff Schwartz | OT Michael Ola | OT Cornelius Lucas | |
| Jeremy Reisman | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out (Susp) | In | In | ||
| Alex Reno | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | Out | In | Out | |
| Kent Lee Platte | In | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out (Susp) | Out | In (IR?) | In | |
| Chris Lemieux | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | Out | In | Out | |
| Justin Simon | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | In | Out | In | In | |
| Mike Payton | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | Out | In | Out | |
| Andrew Kato | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | In | ||
| Ryan Mathews | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | ||
| Kyle Yost | Out | In | Out | In | Out | In | In | Out | In | Out | |
| Change | +1 | +5 | -2 | +1 | -1 | +3 | N/A | N/A | -4 | N/A | -2 |
Dwayne Washington was the biggest mover, as the release of Stevan Ridley almost guarantees his roster spot, unless George Winn does something amazing in the final preseason game. On the other side of the coin, Geoff Schwartz's stock took a big hit, after he sat out another preseason game. Well, it turns out those who changed their mind were correct, as Schwartz was released earlier on Monday. The acquisition of offensive lineman Brandon Thomas in a trade may have sealed his fate.
Update: Another player who all but two of the Pride Of Detroit staff missed the call on was Matthew Mulligan, the tight end the Lions released Monday afternoon. It appears as though the team could be sold on Cole Wick's skill set, or Eric Ebron and/or Brandon Pettigrew could be closer to returning than not.
According to the POD staff, the wide receiver battle is essentially over. We have full consensus on Andre Roberts and TJ Jones being the fourth and fifth options behind the Lions' clear top three receivers. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, as the Lions' second-tier receivers were plagued by drops on Saturday night.
Defense
| DT Gabe Wright | DT Stefan Charles | DT Khyri Thornton | DE Anthony Zettel | LB Khaseem Greene | LB Zaviar Gooden | CB Alex Carter | CB Crezdon Butler | CB Darrin Walls | S Don Carey | |
| Jeremy Reisman | Out | Out | In | In | Out | Out | In | Out | In | In |
| Alex Reno | In | Out | In | In | Out | Out | In | Out | In | Out |
| Kent Lee Platte | In | Out | In | Out | Out | Out | In | Out | Out | In |
| Chris Lemieux | In | Out | In | In | In | Out | In | Out | Out | In |
| Justin Simon | In | Out | In | Out | Out | Out | In | Out | In | In |
| Mike Payton | Out | Out | In | In | Out | Out | In | Out | In | In |
| Andrew Kato | In | Out | In | In | Out | Out | Out | Out | In | In |
| Ryan Mathews | Out | Out | In | In | Out | In | Out | Out | In | In |
| Kyle Yost | In | Out | In | In | Out | Out | Out | Out | In | In |
| Change | No change | -2 | +2 | No change | +1 | N/A | +1 | -2 | -2 | N/A |
On defense, the situation at defensive tackle remains muddied. Gabe Wright is in by a vote of 6-3, while everyone agrees that Stefan Charles is out and Khyri Thornton has played his way onto the roster. The debate, therefore, rests in how many defensive tackles the Lions will keep. If it's six, Wright is in. If it's five, a player like Anthony Zettel may have a shot at the roster. Currently, seven of nine believe the Lions should make room for Zettel.
In the secondary, we are inching closer to a consensus. Alex Carter gained another believer this week, while Crezdon Butler failed to impress anyone. Update: Crezdon Butler was a player that none of the Pride Of Detroit staff anticipated making the final 53-man roster, and on Monday the team cut the cornerback.
Darrin Walls is an interesting situation. Walls was considered one of the Lions' best backup corners on the roster, but after a shaky performance in Baltimore, he is no longer a unanimous pick to make the final 53. Don Carey, who failed to log a single defensive snap against the Ravens, makes an appearance on the list. Although only Alex Reno believes his spot on the roster is gone.
#LongSnapperWatch2016
| Jimmy Landes or Don Muhlbach | |
| Jeremy Reisman | Don Muhlbach |
| Alex Reno | Don Muhlbach |
| Kent Lee Platte | Jimmy Landes |
| Chris Lemieux | Don Muhlbach |
| Justin Simon | Don Muhlbach |
| Mike Payton | Don Muhlbach |
| Andrew Kato | Don Muhlbach |
| Ryan Mathews | Don Muhlbach |
| Kyle Yost | Don Muhlbach |
| Change | Don + 3 |
Only Kent remains in Jimmy Landes' corner after an inconsistent performance on Saturday night. Don Muhlbach may not have received any snaps against the Ravens, but that allowed him to keep his reputation clean, while Landes only hurt his chances. Update: As Jimmy Landes season was cut short due to an apparent shoulder injury and a move to the Lions IR, Don Muhlbach has emerged as the Lions long snapper for the 2016 season.