Five key position battles for the Lions

(Photo: Daniel Mears, Detroit News)Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, with the assistance of his personnel and coaching staffs, soon will have to make decisions about the future of several players on the current roster.

The Lions currently have 88 players on their roster, and by 4 p.m. Tuesday, they’ll have to reduce that number to 75. By next Saturday, two days after their final exhibition against the Buffalo Bills, the Lions will have to make more cuts to reach the 53-man limit.

Friday’s exhibition against the Jaguars in Jacksonville (8 p.m., CBS) will provide yet another chance for the Lions coaches and executives to evaluate their players, and for some players, it could be the last…