Lions won't bring back center Dominic Raiola

MOBILE, Ala. – Dominic Raiola's eyes welled with tears when he talked with reporters the day after the Detroit Lions season ended with a 24-20 wild-card loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The longtime Lions center said then that he thought he'd be back for a 15th season with the only NFL team he has known, but a few days later, he was told his time in Detroit was done.

The Lions have informed Raiola they plan on going in a different direction at center next season, three people with knowledge of the decision told the Free Press, and the team's longest-tenured player won't be back when he becomes a free agent in March. The three people requested anonymity because they are not publicly authorized to talk about the decision.

A second-round pick out of Nebraska in 2001, Raiola has been a fiery staple of the team's offense line for more than a decade.

He holds the franchise record with 203 career starts, served as a bridge from the Matt Millen era to now and was the unquestioned leader of a line that could be in for more changes this off-season.

Raiola did not respond to phone and text messages seeking comment Monday, but he said after the season he planned to play one more year in the NFL.

"I'm optimistic," Raiola said earlier this month. "I think I will be (back), but I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm not. I still want to play, I still think I have a lot to offer and a lot to offer this locker room. If I could go one more go around, I'd be honored."

The Lions have been preparing for Raiola's departure for more than a year.

After subpar 2012 season, the Lions threatened to cut Raiola, but the now-36-year-old center took less money to stay in Detroit and responded with one of the best seasons of his career.

He signed a one-year contract to stay in Detroit last off-season, but his play suffered — he was the league's 37th-ranked center this year according to Pro Football Focus — and was suspended last month for a Week 17 showdown with the Green Bay Packers after jumping on the ankle of Chicago Bears center Ego Ferguson.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew declined comment after the season when asked how Raiola's suspension would factor into the team's decision to bring him back.

But the Lions spent a third-round pick on Travis Swanson in last year's draft and were pleased with the way the rookie was developing behind closed doors.

Swanson started four games at right guard in place of an injured Larry Warford and one at center in place of Raiola. He suffered a knee injury in the Lions' playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but is expected to be ready for the start of off-season workouts.

In Swanson, Warford and left tackle Riley Reiff, the Lions have three recent draft picks who they expect to form the nucleus of their line going forward. Reiff, a first-round pick in 2012, is the oldest of the bunch at 26.

Left guard Rob Sims also is slated to become a free agent after the season, and right tackle job is open for competition after LaAdrian Waddle missed most of the season with an assortment of injuries.

Mayhew spoke highly of Raiola and the 31-year-old Sims after the season, but made no guarantees of either's future in Detroit.

"Both outstanding guys, Rob and Dom," he said. "I think the world of both of those guys. They've been big contributors for us over the past few years. As I said, we met (earlier this month) and we're still making decisions about how to proceed."

The Lions struggled to consistently generate points on offense this year, and many within the organization pointed a finger at the offensive line as a reason.

Matthew Stafford took a career-high 45 sacks this year, and injuries and Raiola's suspension robbed the line of its continuity. The Lions started seven different groups up front this year and could look to address the position in the draft.

"We had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup," Mayhew said. "I think that affected us offensively. You saw we had more sacks this year, which was an issue. We didn't run the ball quite as well this year. I'd like to get guys healthy and I assume that we'll be healthy next year. But to lose Larry (Warford) a couple different times, to lose Waddle a couple different times, or multiple times during the season, lose Riley Reiff for a period of time, it makes it tough. So, I think the health of our offensive line impacted our offense some."

Sims did not return a voice mail seeking comment on his future Monday, but like Raiola, he has said he plans to play in 2015 and hopes it's with the Lions.

Raiola started 104 straight games for the Lions in 2002-08 before he missed four weeks with a broken right thumb. He started another 99 straight games, not including a 2011 wild-card loss to the New Orleans Saints, before his suspension last month, then returned to play maybe his best game of the against the Cowboys, just the second playoff game of his career.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.