Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Chris Houston (23) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. Chicago won 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

There is no doubting that the 2013 version of the Detroit Lions, especially on defense is going to look far different from the team that finished with eight straight losses en route to 4-12 record.

The Lions have a total of 22 unrestricted free agents, many of whom have played an integral part over the years in the team’s rebuilding process. Because of the team’s salary cap situation, players looking for bigger contracts (Cliff Avril) will likely be looking elsewhere for offers.

Listed below are a group of players that the Lions should find a way to bring back. They won’t be the highest paid players, nor are stars, but play critical roles in the team’s success in all three phases of the game.

*Note: I believe the team needs to bring back Delmas as well, but could do so on the franchise tag.

1. Chris Houston, CB:
It may be a good thing for the Lions that Houston really struggled in the last few games of the year. He was torched in the Atlanta game, especially, as Roddy White and Julio Jones caught touchdown passes over Houston. That being said, other than Suh and Fairley, Houston was really the only playmaker the Lions had on defense. Not only that, he is the only constant in the Lions defensive backs group that you can count on week in, week out.

Like a lot of the unrestricted free agents, it really depends on what the asking price is here. Houston is not a No. 1 cornerback on most NFL teams. He is a fantastic No. 2 guy, and should be paid accordingly. If the asking price is not ridiculous, Houston will be brought back.

2. Sammie Lee Hill, DT:
As the staff and management repeatedly say, the goal is to keep good players here. Hill is one of those players. He may have regressed a bit in 2012, but what Lions’ player didn’t regress? Hill, in his fourth year out of Stillman College, recorded only 15 tackles on the season and did not have a single sack.

Defensive tackles rarely fill up the stat sheet, unless you are Ndamukong Suh, which Hill is not. But he could start on a few teams in the NFL, so having him as your run-stuffing, third defensive tackle is a luxury this team should look to keep. Again, if the price is right, bring him back.

3. Lawrence Jackson, DE:
LoJack came on strong at the end of the year, finishing with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the last four games. That is not a good number by any means, but the Lions will take what they can get out of the defensive end position (which is not much). With uncertainty surrounding starting defensive ends Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch, and whether or not the two will be brought back, Jackson becomes very valuable as he fits this system that the Lions employ very well.

There is no telling what the Lions will do at any position right now, as it is so early in the offseason, but don’t be surprised if the team uses a defensive end-by-committee approach at one of the spots next year. Jackson should be a part of that rotation.

4. Will Heller, TE:
Heller, or as I like to call him, Dexter (because he looks exactly like Michael C. Hall), had a coming out party in the latter portion of the year when Pettigrew was out with an injury. Heller assumed the starting role and actually displayed some hands that we are not accustomed to seeing. That just adds to his versatility as he is already one of the better blocking tight ends in the game. Add in the fact that they Lions don’t have a fullback on the roster, and that makes Heller even more valuable as he assumes that role as well.

Despite being the third tight end on the Lions, he plays a crucial role in the Lions offense. He will most likely be brought back.

5. Kassim Osgood, WR/ST
This one may come as a surprise. Why would a special teamer be a must-sign. Well, look at how our special teams improved drastically after the disaster that were the Titans and Vikings games. Since that debacle, the Lions gave up an average of 6.2 yards per punt return and 20.5 on kickoffs. That all happened when Osgood signed with the Lions.

Now, is he solely responsible for that improvement? Of course not…there are 11 guys on special teams that can make a tackle. But Osgood, along with John Wendling and Ashlee Palmer, are stalwarts are the Lions’ special teams units. If the Lions want to win in all three phases of the game, the special teams aspect needs to be fixed, and Osgood can help with that.

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.