Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Morning Roar: How Lions will handle cuts

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- It is coming and almost everyone on the Detroit Lions roster bubble knows it. The team plays its third preseason game Friday night against Jacksonville. Anywhere from 12 to 96 hours later, a roster of almost 90 players will be reduced to 75.

F0r some, like players who are starters or key reserves, there is no concern. But for many of the undrafted free agent rookies and veterans who have been playing on the second or third teams with Detroit during August, it is a stressful time.

"They take everybody’s information and look at it from an assistant coach’s standpoint, from a head coach’s standpoint, from all angles you deal with, how it  affects you in so many different areas and we talk about it," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "It’s not something that just happens the day before we're getting ready to make the reductions. So we dwell over it, we talk about it, we discuss it and we try to get down to where we think is best but it’s a difficult decision any time that that happens.

"It’s not a great day for me, personally, because we’ve got young men that their hopes and dreams are dashed and I think often times we don’t realize how it impacts their lives but I get a chance to see it face-to-face when I talk to them at the end. It doesn’t necessarily mean the end everywhere but here at that point in time. That’s a difficult time and we don’t take it lightly."

Caldwell said he wasn't sure when the team would make its first cuts -- either the day after the game Saturday or wait until Tuesday's deadline. Either way, it is not an easy thing for Caldwell to do. Although, as he explained, while he and the team's assistant coaches have input, the final decisions will lie with general manager Martin Mayhew.

It is possible the team will look at various position groups and make cuts when they determine necessary based off that. As of now, the Lions are scheduled to practice both Saturday and Monday after the game against the Jaguars.

And now, a look around the Interwebs in search of Lions news:

  • Matthew Stafford has looked sharper early for Detroit. The Lions released Drayton Florence. DeJon Gomes is still not practicing. The kicker situation is getting a shift this week. Rashean Mathis is the mentor of the Lions secondary.

  • Dominic Raiola and Matthew Stafford have advice for Johnny Manziel, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

  • Rashean Mathis wants to go out a winner, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.

  • This is really good from Gillian Van Stratt of MLive, looking at life inside the hotel the Lions stayed in during camp.

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