August 25, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola (51) points towards fan during a timeout against the Oakland Raiders in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

When the Lions started clearing cap space by releasing Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Peterman, many wondered if Dominic Raiola would also find himself on the chopping block.

It turns out that he very well may have been. However, Raiola is now expected to stay with the team for next season, the final year of his current contract, after agreeing to restructure the deal.

Center Dominic Raiola has agreed to restructure the final year of his deal, per a person familiar with agreement. Should be a Lion in 2013.

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) February 14, 2013

Raiola was set to count over $6 million dollars against the Lions’ 2013 salary cap, easily in the top ten league-wide. Justin Rogers has a good summary of the financial situation on MLive:

Raiola’s 2013 cap number was scheduled to be slightly more than $6 million. $2 million of that figure is dead money, guaranteed from previous bonuses and restructurings, but his base $4.05 million salary could be trimmed down as low as $940,000, the veteran’s minimum for a player with 10 or more years of experience.

While the exact details of the restructure weren’t immediately available, it looks like the Lions may have been able to clear about $3 million in cap space as a result.

The Lions have obviously feel more comfortable going into next season with Raiola’s veteran presence rather than relying on a first-time starter at center. It also adds continuity to the offensive line that has already seen the departure of one starter and could have more new pieces next year depending on what happens with Jeff Backus (possible retirement) and Gosder Cherilus (free agent).

Bill Nagy spent the year on IR after being claimed from the Dallas Cowboys and can play center, as can Rodney Austin who spent the year on the Lions’ practice squad. Look for those guys to compete for playing time at guard while backing up Raiola with one of them likely to take over in 2014.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Today we take a look at how Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola performed during the 2012 season with a little help from the fine folks at Pro Football Focus.

The radar chart below shows the Pro Football Focus grades for Raiola and compares him to the best, worst and league average ratings at his position. PFF grades each player on each play to produce a massively useful tool for evaluating the totality of a player’s season compared to others at his position.

2012 Season Review
To some, Dominic Raiola is an undersized center that needs to be replaced immediately. To others, he’s indispensable as the brain and heart of the offensive line. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, and that’s just about where Raiola ranks among the league’s centers according to Pro Football Focus. Just look at the radar chart above. He tracks quite well with the average, exceeding it slightly overall but occasionally falling just short. Raiola’s +6.2 pass block rating was good for sixth best and while his run block rating was slightly below average, he didn’t grade out as a total liability there (+0.2).

Offseason Plan
This is tough. While Raiola performed decently on the whole, it was a bounce-back year after two stinkers. At this point in his career, which type of season are the Lions most likely to get if they move forward with him in 2013? It’s hard to argue against the two stinkers. Having already moved on from Stephen Peterman, the Lions can get away with bringing back Raiola while grooming a center to take over in 2014 after his contract expires. However, if they feel that they can replace Raiola with little or no drop off in performance, he could be on the chopping block this offseason as the Lions look to save some money. Raiola is set to have one of the higher cap numbers among centers in 2013.

Previously: Wide Receivers, Offensive Tackles, Guards

*Those that have been around the Detroit Lions blogosphere for a while may recognize the approach presented as similar to Ty Schalter’s ‘Old Mother Hubbard’ series on The Lions in Winter. Don’t worry, he’s cool with what I’m doing here and has assured me that he’ll be back with Old Mother Hubbard later in the offseason.

Dec 9, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Detroit Lions DE Cliff Avril (92). Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t easy. Going back through the Lions last 20 years of drafts merely confirmed what Lions fans know all too well—year after painstaking year of a systematic failure to build the core of a competitive roster through the NFL draft.

The criteria for this list was straightforward:

1. Player had to be drafted in the last 20 years between 1992-2011. Too soon to tell the impact Riley Reiff and his fellow Lions’ draft picks will have
2. Player must have enjoyed some sort of longevity in his career (i.e. more than one or two seasons)

1^st round – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (2007)

You don’t earn the nickname “Megatron” unless you are, well, a well-oiled robotic machine tuned for superior athletic prowess. Johnson just broke Jerry Rice’s receiving yards record and about a half-dozen others in his 225-yard explosion against Atlanta—in Week 15. Next up is the very real possibility of eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark—scary good.

2^nd round – Dominic Raiola, C, Nebraska (2001)

Raiola has his fair share of critics but it’s hard to argue against some of the positives this former Cornhusker has brought to Motown:

• Dependable and Tough: Raiola has only missed four games to injury (2008) throughout his 12-year career
• Leadership: Being outspoken, albeit too much at times, and not afraid to call out aloof teammates has earned him the role of unofficial clubhouse leader by default via the media and fan base and even his teammates as a team-voted captain since 2006.

3^rd round – Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue (2008)

Avril is one of the league’s upper echelon pass rushers who, at 26, is just now entering his prime. He will be one of the very difficult personnel decisions awaiting Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz this offseason after receiving the franchise tag last offseason. Team President and salary cap wizard Tom Lewand does not have much wiggle room under the cap next year.

With prototypical size (6-3, 265) to go with his elite speed and quickness, Avril has continuously raised his level of production every season since his debut in 2008 in which he was named to the Sporting News All-Rookie Team. In 2011, Avril totaled 36 tackles, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered, and an interception which he returned for a touchdown.

4^th round – Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Stillman College (2009)

Helping the pride of Stillman College appear on this list is partially due to the fact the Lions three most recent General Managers, mostly due to previous years or draft-day trades, have been without a 4^th round selection. Hill, only 26, is just now rounding into form as a dependable  part of one the league’s best defensive line rotations. As a lane-clogging defensive tackle, he could start for a handful of teams right now but has his snaps limited by the dominating Ndamakong Suh and emerging young star, Nick Fairley.

5^th round – Stephen Boyd, LB, Boston College (1995)

Being the backup and heir replacement to one of the most iconic and beloved players is not an easy position to be in. But Boyd stepped in to fill the void Chris Spielman left in 1996 when he signed with Buffalo. The Lions defense didn’t skip a beat as Boyd went on to lead the team in tackles four consecutive years while being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate in three of those seasons.

6^th round – Corey Schlesinger, RB/FB, Nebraska (1995)

When he wasn’t initiating, and mostly winning, head-on collisions as a road-grinder fullback Schlesinger was a special teams dynamo. A humble, bring your lunch-pail to work kind of work ethic, Schlesinger endeared himself to gain the affinity and respect of Lions fans. He eventually earned more national recognition being named to three consecutive Pro Bowls (2003-2005) as an alternate. He currently teaches a CAD and drafting class at Allen Park High School—the same Allen Park the Lions team facilities are located. Talk about a fan favorite riding off into the sunset as a local high school teacher—great way to transition back into a community by a beloved former Lions player at a time when too many people, former athletes and everyday citizens alike, left that area at their first opportunity.

7^th round – Since there are no noteworthy Lions players taken in this round in the last 20 years, an exception was made to include the 8^th round

8^th round – Willie Clay, DB, Georgia Tech (1992)

Willie “Big Play” Clay had a nice career—certainly one that far surpassed expectations reserved for prospects drafted much earlier. The Pittsburgh native went on to play three seasons in New England (1996-1998) and New Orleans (1999).

Clay started all 16 games in the 2004 and 2005 seasons for Detroit at strong safety. He was outstanding as he tallied 109 tackles, 11 interceptions, and three forced fumbles combined.