It is a day that for sports video game connoisseurs is a big deal. Madden release day.
That day was Tuesday and pretty much every NFL player had an idea it was coming since many sported bags with the Madden 15 logo in recent days. As expected and previously announced, Calvin Johnson was the top wide receiver in the game.
But where did the rest of the Lions stack up? I purchased the game Tuesday and immediately looked to see where the Lions rated (yes, I play ... if you have an XBox 360 and want to play online, message me on my Facebook page or on Twitter @mikerothstein).
So, here are all the Lions players in the game. Some have already been cut by Detroit. Others, like offensive lineman Rodney Austin, are actually not in the game either with the Lions or free agents as of the latest roster update. My guess is that changes once 53-man rosters are revealed.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford 87; Dan Orlovsky 71; Kellen Moore 67
Running back: Reggie Bush 85; Joique Bell 84; Mikel Leshoure 72; Theo Riddick 71; Steven Miller (since cut) 66
Fullback: Jed Collins 83; Montell Owens 82
Wide receiver: Calvin Johnson 99; Golden Tate 84; Ryan Broyles 82; Kris Durham 71; Kevin Ogletree 70; TJ Jones 67; Jeremy Ross 67; Patrick Edwards 63; Corey Fuller 63
Tight end: Brandon Pettigrew 79; Joseph Fauria 77; Eric Ebron 77
Left tackle: Riley Reiff 80; Michael Williams 60
Left guard: Rob Sims 83
Center: Dominic Raiola 91; Travis Swanson 69
Right guard: Larry Warford 88; Garrett Reynolds 74; Bryce Quigley (since cut) 64
Right tackle: Corey Hilliard 78; LaAdrian Waddle 76; A.J. Dalton (since cut) 65
Left end: Jason Jones 80; Devin Taylor 75; Larry Webster 65
Right end: Ezekiel Ansah 82; Darryl Tapp 73; George Johnson 66
Defensive tackle: Ndamukong Suh 97; Nick Fairley 91; C.J. Mosley 76; Andre Fluellen 68; Jimmy Saddler-McQueen 66; Caraun Reid 65; Xavier Proctor 62
SAM linebacker: Ashlee Palmer 77; Kyle Van Noy 72
MIKE linebacker: Stephen Tulloch 89; Travis Lewis 62
WILL linebacker: DeAndre Levy 83; Tahir Whitehead 67
Cornerback: Rashean Mathis 80; Bill Bentley 73; Cassius Vaughn 73; Darius Slay 72; Nevin Lawson 70; Jonte Green (since cut) 70; Chris Greenwood 69; Nate Ness 66
Free safety: Glover Quin 84; Don Carey 74; Isa Abdul-Quddus 72
Strong safety: James Ihedigbo 81; DeJon Gomes 72; Jerome Couplin 67
Kicker: Giorgio Tavecchio (since cut) 65; Nate Freese 64
Punter: Sam Martin 81; Drew Butler (since cut) 71
Snapper: Don Muhlbach 74.
And now, on to Lions news from around the Interwebs:
Golden Tate thinks he can stand out in Detroit's offense. The Lions practice report from the day. Detroit is still not settled at right tackle. The Lions cut two more players Tuesday. Cassius Vaughn talks his way to success in Detroit. Jim Caldwell rated 27th among the league's head coaches.
The Lions safety Glover Quin is not a fan of a proposed 18-game schedule, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Detroit's players are looking at Buffalo defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz from a new angle now -- opponent instead of their head coach, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
The Lions cut Jonte Green due to performance, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.
This is a cool story about the upbringing and path to football of potential future prospect Duke offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson, from Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News & Observer.
Players would be OK with HGH testing if it means guaranteed contracts, reports our latest NFL Confidential survey.