Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

With two games and less than two weeks left in the preseason, the Detroit Lions have only a few spots on their 53-man roster up for grabs.

One of the most heated position battles left to sort out is at the wide receiver spot, where the Lions have a mix of undrafted rookies and experienced veterans competing for probably two backup jobs behind Marvin Jones, Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said over the weekend that six backup receivers currently in camp remain clumped together after two preseason games.

"Not really," Caldwell said when asked if that group is beginning to separate itself. "It’s still bunched in there pretty good and we’ve got a couple more games left, so we’ll see what happens.”

Here are the six players vying for roster spots, and thoughts on where each stands:

• TJ Jones - Jones filled in for Golden Tate in practice over the weekend and appears to be the Lions' backup at outside receiver. His youth, upside and return ability makes him a favorite for a roster spot.

• Jeremy Kerley - The Lions signed Kerley in March with the expectation that he would compete for time as a slot receiver and on returns. He's tied for the team lead with six catches this preseason and has played primarily behind Boldin with the second-team offense.

• Andre Roberts - A late spring addition, Roberts has made the most of his opportunities so far. He has five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, and has seen time returning both punts and kicks. The fifth receiver could come down to Kerley and Roberts, and what value they add on special teams.

• Quinshad Davis - An undrafted rookie out of North Carolina, Davis is the biggest of the Lions receivers. He hasn't done much in games (three catches, 27 yards), but he's played some with the second-team offense and has shined in practice. At a minimum, Davis seems bound for the practice squad.

• Jay Lee - Lee had a big day in the Lions' mock game earlier this month, but has been relatively quiet since. He has two catches for 15 yards and, like Davis, could be bound for the practice squad.

• Jace Billingsley - On sheer production, Billingsley has been the best of the Lions' three undrafted rookies. He's averaging 13.7 yards on his three punt returns and caught a 27-yard touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, he'll need two more strong performances to earn a spot as a backup slot receiver.

"I’ve said it a couple times," Tate said. "I feel bad for the scouts and the coaches, they're going to have some tough decisions to make when it comes to just the wide receiver room because we have so much talent and so many guys who bring different things to the table."

Note: The Lions announced they have released wide receiver Andre Caldwell from the reserve/injured list.

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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