Photo Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

In a move that should come as no surprise to anyone, the Detroit Lions have tendered a contract to Jason Fox.

Lions put the original round tender of $1.393M on Jason Fox.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 11, 2013

Fox was a restricted free agent and while this doesn’t ensure he will be back with the Lions next season, it at least ties him to compensation. Should a team sign Fox to an offer sheet, the Lions will have the right to match the offer or receive a fourth round pick from the team he signs with.

It is not expected that Fox will draw interest on the free agent market so everyone should fully expect him to be a member of the Lions in 2013. The Lions have talked up Fox this offseason as a player that could compete for playing time, particularly at right tackle with the expected departure of Gosder Cherilus.

Nov 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan talks into his headset during the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

It’s that time of the year when the future potential of young and little-used players gets talked up by the coaches and veteran members of the team. Detroit Lions offensive lineman Jason Fox is one of the first to get lauded as a potential breakout player for the 2013 season.

Fox has battled knee injuries and hasn’t had many opportunities to see game action outside of some special teams play. He has been active for only one game this season but that didn’t keep Scott Linehan from having some glowing remarks about Fox’s future:

“Basically, he’s going to be hitting his stride going into next year. He’s got some position versatility. I’d see him playing a lot of football for us next year.”

Versatility is something the Lions have valued since Jim Schwartz and Martin Mayhew took over. Linehan went on to say that Fox can play guard and didn’t even rule out his ability to play center.

That puts Fox in an interesting position if Linehan’s words are more than glossy coach-speak. Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola have been mainstays on the Lions’ offensive line for years but might not have a lot of football left in them. Gosder Cherilus is set to become a free agent and the Lions’ guards, Stephen Peterman in particular, haven’t done enough to warrant rubber stamping them into the 2013 lineup based on their incumbent status.

2013 will also see the return of Bill Nagy, who was claimed and shelved on IR after he was cut by the Cowboys in training camp. Nagy started as a rookie for the Cowboys but broke his ankle then suffered a sprain of the same ankle in training camp that required surgery. The Cowboys decided to move on and the Lions could be beneficiaries as a result as Nagy can play guard or center.

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.