Updated 53-Man Roster Projections for Detroit Lions Post Preseason Week 3

The first roster cut-down day is at the door with the final act following closely behind. It's time for the Detroit Lions to pull the trigger on some tough decisions.

And the players know the deal. Head coach Jim Caldwell laid it out in simple terms for Michael Rothstein of ESPN: "The ones that stand out are the ones that we keep. That’s how we look at it. It’s a competition, you know. It’s not Disneyland. It’s difficult."

That's mostly the truth. Some players will be ushered past that requirement on the promise of potential. It's the same in every other aspect of life, so why should the field be any different?

Quarterback

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

1. Matthew Stafford
2. Dan Orlovsky

Cut: Kellen Moore and Garrett Gilbert

There's no need to argue about the intricacies of Moore's performances at this point.

The coaches have made it clear that they're ready to move on from the four-year developmental project. He was only given nine snaps, per Pro Football Focus, in the third preseason game and threw one six-yard pass.

Now it's only a matter of whether the Lions want to give him the fourth game to showcase his talents or give Garrett Gilbert a chance to show his practice-squad worth. It's a toss-up that will ultimately be inconsequential to the team.

As for Stafford, even the usual preseason caveat doesn't denigrate his 156.3 quarterback rating enough to dampen the fans' excitement. And it shouldn't, especially considering a certain Megatron hasn't taken a snap.

Running Back

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1. Joique Bell
2. Ameer Abdullah
3. Theo Riddick
4. Zach Zenner
5. FB Michael Burton

Cut: Desmond Martin, George Winn and Emil Igwenagu

Kellen Moore's loss is Zach Zenner's gain.

In this space, pragmatism demanded some resistance to the hype. The fourth running back won't become a regular offensive weapon (Winn saw 56 offensive snaps in 2014) save for injuries, so he must contribute on special teams.

However, that need has been abated by the loss of one quarterback. Zenner's 6.5-yard average combined with a growing special teams presence and long, shifty runs overwhelms the argument against his inclusion (one I made just a week ago).

Winn wasn't an easy cut. However, he has a solid chance of passing through waivers on his way to the practice squad, and there are bubble linebackers who add more to the special teams mix.

Wide Receiver

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Golden Tate
3. Corey Fuller
4. Lance Moore
5. Jeremy Ross

Cut: TJ Jones, Ryan Broyles, Andrew Peacock, Vernon Johnson and Greg Salas

Four of the above positions are almost etched in stone. If you want to argue Ross' position, you can put a case together that will carry merit, but the proof is in the snaps.

The Lions again gave Ross half of the return opportunities against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Granted, there were only two kickoff returns to split (Ameer Abdullah took the other), yet it's still telling.

Moore is the only one who is a total enigma. The opportunity point mentioned above and on the quarterback slide gives one pause when evaluating his status with the team. Moore has only seen 29 snaps, although he missed one game because of the birth of his child.

However, Jim Caldwell loves his veterans and is liberal with their time off. Moore is a sure-handed receiver who knows the offense inside and out. And he's basically an older version of Broyles, but with a better ability to separate.

Tight End

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

1. Eric Ebron
2. Brandon Pettigrew
3. Joseph Fauria

Out: Deon Butler, Jacob Maxwell and Casey Pierce

No need to waste needless words explaining these picks.

Ebron will be one of the most watched and most scrutinized tight ends in the league. Matthew Stafford believes those observers will find a show as entertaining as anything Netflix has put forth, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

"

I think Eric's having a great camp, not just physically but his understanding of the offense has grown quite a bit. I think those guys up front have done a great job. From where they were last year, Swanny (Travis Swanson), he's got a lot on his plate right now to come in and, not only the physical side but the mental side at that position is extremely challenging. I thought he's done a great job.

"

Pettigrew and Fauria will return in their standard roles. The former will be a hybrid with a stronger leaning toward blocking, while the latter will be used as a red-zone threat at the very least.

Offensive Line

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

1. Riley Reiff
2. Laken Tomlinson
3. Travis Swanson
4. Larry Warford
5. LaAdrian Waddle
6. Cornelius Lucas
7. Manny Ramirez
8. Taylor Boggs

Cut: Corey Robinson, Xavier Proctor, Torrian Wilson, Al Bond, Braxston Cave and Joe Madsen

Again, there's no debate about the top spots here and that certainty drops all the way down to Ramirez and Lucas. 

In fact, the only battle being waged after Michael Williams' departure is between Boggs and Robinson.

Robinson has shown himself to be every bit a rookie in the running game. His -2.4 PFF run-blocking grade and a couple penalties belie his youth, but he's only given up a single quarterback hurry in 65 pass-protection opportunities.

Boggs has slowed down after his impressive start. He's now up to three quarterback hurries at a position that doesn't put you on an island nearly as often.

However, until Warford's high-ankle sprain is a past concern instead of a pressing issue, Boggs' depth is too crucial to cut. Besides, it's unlikely that Robinson would be scooped up on his way through waivers.

Defensive End

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

1. Ezekiel Ansah
2. Jason Jones
3. Darryl Tapp
4. Devin Taylor
5. Corey Wootton
6. Phillip Hunt

Cut: Larry Webster and Erik Williams

Finally, some controversy!

Last year's fourth-round pick was supposed to be a breakout candidate this year. The only thing Webster has broken free from is a locked-up roster spot.

He's a developmental player who has performed admirably against the run, but who has just two quarterback hits on his preseason resume. Considering Wootton's ability to play both inside and out along with his run-stuffing chops, his versatility gives him a leg up on Webster.

And the last inclusion is a dog that hunts on passing downs. Hunt has nine pressures with five fewer pass-rushing opportunities than Webster. The level of competition for some of those pressures hasn't been top-notch, but he can help Detroit win now, which is more than Webster can say.

Defensive Tackle

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

1. Haloti Ngata
2. Tyrunn Walker
3. Caraun Reid
4. Gabe Wright

Out: Jermelle Cudjo, Kerry Hyder, Roy Philon and Jerel Worthy

Reid has put the Lions in a similar situation as Larry Warford.

The second-year defensive tackle is fighting off a high-ankle sprain while still rocking a walking boot after the Jacksonville game. His return timetable is considered a state secret at this point.

That almost opened the way for Cudjo to crack the roster much in the same vein of Taylor Boggs' inclusion. Unfortunately, Corey Wootton and Jason Jones can both kick inside to defensive tackle, meaning Cudjo's drop-off in production (three tackles and two pressures all preseason) the past two games is too much to overcome.

Linebacker

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

1. DeAndre Levy
2. Stephen Tulloch
3. Tahir Whitehead
4. Kyle Van Noy
5. Travis Lewis
6. Josh Bynes
7. Brandon Copeland

Cut: Julian Stanford and Justin Cherocci

No, Copeland's inclusion has nothing to do with Van Noy's injury.

The latter's situation looked dire as recently as a week ago. Aside from Van Noy's assertion that he won't be added to the PUP list again, he added that he's "week to week," per Dave Birkett.

Instead, this is where that spot freed up by George Winn comes in. The Lions don't need a fifth running back. They also don't need a seventh linebacker, but Copeland can be the special teams contributor the team needs.

Copeland also gets the nod over Stanford in a close competition by virtue of his pass-rushing ability. He's added four pressures and three stops this preseason, while the latter has only bested him in tackles.

Secondary

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

1. Darius Slay
2. Rashean Mathis
3. Glover Quin
4. James Ihedigbo
5. Alex Carter
6. Josh Wilson
7. Nevin Lawson
8. Quandre Diggs
9. Isa Abdul-Quddus
10. Don Carey

Cut: R.J. Stanford, Brian Suite, Nate Ness, Isaiah Johnson, Jocquel Skinner, Chris Owens and Crezdon Butler

The entire secondary can easily be condensed into a single slide.

You already knew all three nickelbacks would be kept, and Alex Carter would be safe despite his injury issues. He receives the first annual Larry Webster Memorial Roster Spot by virtue of his third-round status.

The only possibility is the elevation of Johnson over Carey.

The latter was sacrificed during the third preseason game to give the coaching staff a long look at Johnson. The undrafted rookie was solid in coverage, not allowing a single reception on two targets, but his practice-squad eligibility makes this an easy choice.

Special Teams

Ralph Freso/Associated Press

1. P Sam Martin
2. K Matt Prater
3. LS Don Muhlbach

Cut: Kyle Brindza

What a difference a year makes.

Had Brindza been in camp last season, there's no doubt he would have sent Nate Freese and Havard Rugland packing. He has connected on every kick he's attempted, including a 49-yarder and a long of 51 yards.

But Prater is a known commodity who was never in any danger. The same goes for Martin.

As for Muhlbach, what's the point of bringing in long-snapping competition for a guy with his level of consistency?

One last note: This team is talented across the board. There are guys who were left off the final roster here that will catch on somewhere else. It's been a long time since anybody has said that about Detroit's cast-offs.

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.