As the Lions add more and more talent to the roster, some players that may have had a roster spot in the past could find themselves squeezed out when the final 53-man roster is announced for the 2012 season. Here are five such players:

Oct 2, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions running back Keiland Williams (34) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Keiland Williams

The Lions claimed Keiland Williams off waivers a week before their 2011 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The hope was that he could be utilized in a way they had initially planned for Mikel Leshoure with both players coming in around 6′ tall and 230 pounds. It didn’t play out that way – even when the Lions’ running back situation started reaching desperation status after losing Jahvid Best for the season due to a concussion. Rather than increasing Williams’ role the Lions went out and signed Kevin Smith and gave more playing time to Maurice Morris. With Leshoure back from injury, Williams will likely face a battle with Joique Bell and Stephfon Green for a roster spot. He is still a young player but won’t be able to count on that as a tie breaker since the Bell and Green are youngsters themselves.

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Lions reportedly will not tender a contract to restricted free agent Ashlee Palmer. The move is somewhat surprising since Palmer was a decent special teams contributor and fellow outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter will be an unrestricted free agent.

However, the move does not necessarily mean Palmer will not be back with the Lions. Should Palmer not find the gig he’s looking for elsewhere and the Lions find themselves with a need at outside linebacker, they could turn to Palmer as a player they already have familiarity with. This is the situation that played out with Kevin Smith last year.

Not tendering a contract to Ashlee Palmer also sets up Doug Hogue for a bump up the depth chart. Little was seen of him on the field after being drafted in the fifth round last April but contributed on special teams and is a player the team seems to view quite highly. Not tendering a contract to Palmer can be viewed as a vote of confidence for Hogue.

This is just one step in what will be a multi-step process of filling out the Lions’ linebacker corps. Stephen Tulloch needs a new deal and DeAndre Levy is a restricted free agent. Even if the team looks at Hogue as the primary backup at outside linebacker, that still leaves room for depth to fill out the roster.

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To ensure that everyone has a chance to vote, polls will remain open until midnight on the west coast. At that time, a winner will be declared and the tournament will continue with another matchup the following day.

We’re staying on the defensive side of the bracket today. Who will move on to round two?

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