The Lions have announced the first 19 of 21 players they released today on their way down to the 53-man roster limit. Most notable among the cuts were linebacker Buster Davis, safety Greg Blue, cornerback Dovonte Edwards and receivers Devale Ellis and John Standeford. They also placed running back Brian Calhoun on injured reserve with what coach Rod Marinelli termed a "thigh muscle tear." Calhoun has finished all three of his NFL seasons on IR.

By cutting Ellis, Standeford and Brandon Middleton, the Lions appear to be going with just four receivers — Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams, Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald — and extra help at fullback (Sean McHugh) and tight end (John Owens). Rookie fifth-round pick Kenneth Moore was released and is a prime candidate for the practice squad.

Davis had a strong camp but got caught in a numbers game at linebacker. The Lions are committed to second-round pick Jordon Dizon as Paris Lenon's backup at middle linebacker and wanted reserves at both outside positions. They kept Anthony Cannon and Gilbert Gardner, who will back up Alex Lewis on the strong side, over Davis and Leon Joe. If Davis is not claimed, the Lions will try to re-sign him to the practice squad

With two cuts to go, here's the list of those waived so far:

WR Ron Bellamy, LB Darnell Bing, S Greg Blue, LB Buster Davis, OG Frank Davis, DE Victor DeGrate, CB Dovonte Edwards, WR Devale Ellis, DE Rudolph Hardie, TE Clark Harris, QB Drew Henson, S LaMarcus Hicks, OG Corey Hulsey, LB Leon Joe, WR Brandon Middleton, WR Kenneth Moore, RB Artose Pinner, WR John Standeford, CB Kiwaukee Thomas.

The Lions made their first round of cuts Tuesday, releasing Dave Rayner, Claude Harriott, Carroll Madison, Stephen Howell and Tyrone Pruitt. The real dilemma, however, comes Saturday when they'll need to chop 22 more players off the roster to get down to 53. There are several scenarios in the wind, and much could depend on Thursday's exhibition finale at Buffalo. Do the Lions keep four running backs with the new commitment to the ground game? Five receivers as usual? A second fullback or fourth tight end at the expense of a ninth lineman? And on defense, who gets the 25th spot, safety Greg Blue, cornerback Dovonte Edwards, linebacker Leon Joe or someone else?

For the first time in Rod Marinelli's three seasons, the Lions have some decisions to make. Some of the players they release should get picked up by other teams and keeping 10 defensive linemen looks like a lock. But the one thing that stood out in last week's exhibition win over Cleveland is that none of the bubble guys has jumped out as a must-keep at this point.

An example: Edwards and Blue (along with cornerback Ramzee Robinson) are battling for a possible ninth spot in the defensive backfield. It may have been a case of trying to hard, but both played a hit-and-miss second half Saturday. Edwards played well early, then in the span of three plays in the fourth quarter whiffed on a tackle and was slow to tag Kevin Kasper after he went to the turf to make a catch. No doubt that situational recognition was noticed by the coaches. Blue, likewise, missed an open-field tackle in the third quarter (on a play that was nullified by penalty), then came back the next play to stop Jason Wright on a 9-yard gain.

Going into Game 4, I'd say Blue has a slight edge over Edwards if the Lions do keep nine in the secondary, but that's more because of uncertainty with Daniel Bullocks' knee than anything either player did or did not do. Both guys can be contributors in this league (and should find a roster spot somewhere), but that's how slim the margin is between players.

The all-important third preseason game is here, but don't expect the Lions to play their starters into the third quarter like they may have done in the past. They've stayed remarkably healthy so far — most of the first unit and key reserves, anyway. There's no sense chancing that, plus there's enough positions at the back of the roster still up for grabs that the coaching staff will give players the opportunity to win their way on or off the team. That's a good thing. I'll have a position battle breakdown in the paper next week, but there's more competition here than the previous two years combined under Rod Marinelli.

Now, for three things I'll be watching for today:

• The ninth defensive back. In all likelihood, the Lions will keep nine DBs. Cornerbacks Brian Kelly, Leigh Bodden, Travis Fisher and Keith Smith, and safeties Gerald Alexander, Daniel Bullocks, Dwight Smith and Kalvin Pearson are guaranteed spots. No. 9 is up for grabs with corners Dovonte Edwards and Ramzee Robinson and safety Greg Blue in the mix. Secondary coach Jimmy Lake said both Robinson and Edwards have had good camps, but Robinson has been more consistent in games. Edwards rebounded with a good effort last week against the Bengals, but he struggled Week 1 against the Giants. Blue is a monster hitter whose ball skills have gotten perceptively better since last season. Typically, teams lean towards five corners, but both Pearson and Alexander can play nickel corner, which evens the field for Blue. Whoever plays best in the next two games — and contributes the most on special teams — should win the job.

• George Foster. Left for dead after last season than re-signed when no free-agent replacement surfaced, Foster will make his third straight start at right tackle — to many people's surprise. "I ain't a bad player," Foster said. Foster has had one penalty in limited snaps this preseason (his big issue last year) and appears to be closing in on a roster spot, maybe at the expense of Jonathan Scott. Scott was thought to be the Lions' swing tackle, but rookie Gosder Cherilus, breathing down Foster's neck for the starting right-tackle job, has worked on the left side some this preseason. Both Foster and Cherilus should get work with the first team today.

• The punt return. Kind of a rehash of last week's Devale Ellis watch, but the Lions are still trying to identify their punt returner. Marinelli said Aveion Cason is No. 1 for now, but there's an opportunity for Ellis and fellow receiver Brandon Middleton to win that job and solidify a spot on the team. Ellis has gone back for one return each of the first two weeks; one punt sailed out of bounds and he returned the other two yards in a hailstorm of traffic. Middleton went back for a return last week for the first time since his NFL Europe days. That one, too, landed out of bounds. Both players need more opportunity to be properly evaluated.

Every day during training camp, Lions beat writer Dave Birkett takes you inside practice at Allen Park with notes, quotes and observations of interest.

First thoughts from the preseason opener, a 13-10 win over the Giants:

• If Calvin Johnson stays healthy, he will be the best receiver in the league in three years. He's that good. And he's headed for a huge year in the meantime. Johnson played about a quarter Thursday and caught four passes for 78 yards. On one 25-yard gain that should be a typical play this season, Johnson was running down the sideline in one-on-one coverage with Corey Webster. Jon Kitna threw the ball up, and Johnson had it tucked away before Webster could even bother making a play. If the Lions can keep Kitna clean, either Johnson or Roy Williams will make the Pro Bowl.

• Rookie Gosder Cherilus is going to catch some heat for his three penalties, as he should. But Lions coach Rod Marinelli said he was pleased with Cherilus' blocking and Cherilus said he felt like he could play against everyone he was matched up against. "I think he did some good things on his blocking," Marinelli said. "I felt it a couple times."

• The rest of the Lions' rookies were up and down, too. Kevin Smith doesn't dance much, that's a good thing, but averaged just 2.8 yards on his eight carries. Jordon Dizon is a great instinct guy, as everyone knows, but Marinelli said "we just got to make sure he's going the right way all the time." Got to watch the tape more before I comment on Cliff Avril and Andre Fluellen, defensive linemen who it's not going out on a limb to say aren't expected to have much of an impact this year.

• Drew Stanton ended his first rushing attempt Thursday with — get this — a slide. Stanton said he never slid at Michigan State. Former MSU quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier always told Stanton to be the aggressor and dive at a defender's legs. He's always been a gutsy runner and sometimes ended up on the wrong end of collisions. In the NFL, he'll be smarter about things. "They hit with a different authority" in the NFL, he said.

• One player who stood out in a good way that no one mentioned post-game: Buster Davis. He made four tackles, deflected a pass and proved he can deliver a hit. One player who struggled (in my estimation): Dovonte Edwards. Don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but the Giants seemed to pick on him a couple plays in a row. In Edwards' defense, he'll take the blame for a deep completion he allowed, but I think safety Greg Blue was late with the help.

• A quick injury report before I punch out for the night. Cornerback Stanley Wilson is likely done for the season with an Achilles tendon injury. He had to be carted to the locker room. Things don't look good. Jason Hanson left with a strained left thigh and will be re-evaluated Friday, and Gilbert Gardner suffered a concussion. That means more playing time for a backup like Tyrone Pruitt.

Every day during training camp, Lions beat writer Dave Birkett takes you inside practice at Allen Park with a few notes, quotes and observations of interest.

• The Lions just wrapped up their morning practice, their first public workout of the summer (previous sessions were open to invited guests and scheduled season-ticket holders) and drew more than 500 fans. One walked away with an autographed Mike Furrey football (courtesy of the team) and anyone who stuck around filled their autograph book with signatures. Just about every player stopped to sign. Kevin Smith and Dwight Smith were two of the most accommodating, while coach Rod Marinelli signed or chatted with anyone who said hi.

• The biggest cheers of the day came when Mike Furrey beat Ramzee Robinson down the middle of the field for a deep touchdown pass. Safety LaMarcus Hicks tipped a ball on the next play, and a group of defensive players turned to the crowd to encourage cheers for their unit, too.

• Jordon Dizon made his first interception of camp, picking off Jon Kitna in 11-on-11 team work. Fellow middle linebacker Buster Davis had the hit of the morning, blasting fullback Jerome Felton a few periods later. Felton had the hit of the day Monday when he knocked off Davis helmet with a ferocious block. That play was highlighted (and replayed) several times by Marinelli in the Monday night team meeting. No doubt it served as the impetus for Davis' good day.

• Two other football-related observations: First, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams weren't flawless Tuesday by any means, but they ooze so much talent it's silly. Johnson beat Robinson for a deep touchdown and just ran away from him in the final 10 yards with the ball still in the air. I don't imagine he'll be a Pro Bowler this year, but it won't be long. Second, Dovonte Edwards has a shot to make the team if the Lions keep five corners. Edwards has had a better camp than Robinson and Stanley Wilson so far.

• Lastly, add two more names to the injury report in center Dominic Railoa and defensive tackle Langston Moore. Raiola has a sprained ankle and should be fine, though his absence Tuesday led to six fumbled quarterback-center exchanges. Moore sprained his shoulder Tuesday and is due for an MRI later today.