At the midway point of Detroit’s preseason, frontrunners are emerging in several key defensive position competitions. Although coach Jim Schwartz won’t address questions surrounding the depth chart, players have settled into a consistent rotation during team drills that offers a glimpse at who is working their way into the Week 1 lineup.
Here’s how the Lions lined up at linebacker, cornerback and safety during Sunday’s team drills -- and what those lineups mean going forward:
Cornerback -- First team: Bill Bentley, Chris Houston, Jacob Lacey (nickel). Second team: Justin Miller, Alphonso Smith. Analysis: The biggest surprise in this rotation is Miller’s ascendancy to the second team. The free-agent signing responded well to the extra reps Sunday with solid coverage in drills. Bentley’s return to the outside on the first team indicates that his battle with Lacey to start opposite Chris Houston is far from over, but they have distanced themselves from the other challengers. Sixth-round pick Jonte Green continues to be confined to third-team reps. He’s looking more like a candidate for the practice squad with each passing workout.
Safety -- First Team: Erik Coleman, John Wendling. Second Team: Ricardo Silva, Amari Spievey. Analysis: Until Louis Delmas returns from knee surgery, this lineup looks relatively settled. Wendling took advantage of Delmas’ injury to step into the first-team role, and he doesn’t appear ready to relinquish it. Already known for his special teams acumen, Wendling will surely see more defensive reps this season. Coleman entered camp intent on proving he could resurrect his career after being placed on IR last year and his solid coverage has done just that. Spievey hasn’t offered much of a challenge for a starting role, but he’s a capable reserve. Silva appears to have moved ahead of free-agent signing Sean Jones, who has struggled in coverage during both of Detroit’s preseason games. Detroit will likely only keep four safeties in addition to Delmas, so anyone not on the top two teams as roster deadlines approach is in trouble.
Linebacker -- First Team: DeAndre Levy, Stephen Tulloch, Justin Durant. Second Team: Ashlee Palmer, Doug Hogue, Tahir Whitehead. Analysis: This is an important week for Hogue, who took reps in place of injured LB Travis Lewis Sunday. He saw time at outside LB, while Palmer moved into the middle during drills. Houge was a competent reserve player last season, but Lewis’ play has justifiably moved him ahead of Houge on the depth chart. The LB competition centers on whether the team will keep six or seven players at the position. Hogue needs a good showing to solidify his roster place. The decision on whether to keep him will likely be made by his special teams contributions.
Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter at @CBSSportsNFLDET and @JohnKreger.
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