Stephen

Tulloch

Tulloch was a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina State.

The Lions’ plan is to sign Tulloch long term and franchise tag Cliff Avril, but talks with Tulloch haven’t reached a breakthrough point. Tulloch is a top-four free agent amongst a quietly rich inside linebacker market. The 27-year-old is expected to draw interest from the Eagles if he hits the free agent waters.

Jackson also landed $19 million in guarantees and bonuses. Tulloch settled for a one-year, $3.2 million contract last summer after misjudging his market. Tulloch is coming off a fine season, finishing 17th in the NFL in tackles, but he plays the wrong position. With a glut of inside linebackers available, NFL teams are slow-playing the market.

“We’re very hopeful we can reach an agreement with him sometime soon,” Mayhew said at a fan event Monday. “I plan on talking with his agent tonight or tomorrow and we’ll keep trying to get that done.” After scanning the market for cheaper alternatives, the Lions appear ready to re-up their 2011 tackle leader.

It’s not quite D’Qwell Jackson money, but it’s close. Although GM Martin Mayhew said Monday the sides were having “very productive conversations,” the Lions are “currently unwilling” to meet Tulloch’s monetary demands. They’ll host free agent MLB David Hawthorne in a leverage play on Tuesday.

No major news here. GM Martin Mayhew had all but confirmed the franchise tag as a fall-back option for Avril, who would earn roughly $10.6 million in 2012. Tagging Avril makes it less likely that free agent MLB Stephen Tulloch will be re-signed on a long-term deal.

“My family and my situation going on, I just want to continue to play football and get what I deserve, and that’s what it boils down to,” Tulloch said in a Monday radio interview. “And hopefully, things can work out (in Detroit). If not, I know another team will step in there and do what’s right and move forward to win some ballgames.” The cap-strapped Lions will have a hard time signing Tulloch to a long-term deal if he reaches free agency.

Details aren’t in yet, but it’s good bet that Tulloch came close to D’Qwell Jackson’s $42.5 million contract after restoring his value with a fine 2011 season in which he led the team in tackles. The Lions did well to retain Tulloch and franchise player Cliff Avril on an improving defense. The Lions have 21-of-22 starters returning from last year’s playoff team. Tulloch’s signing should put the wheels in motion for the rest of the inside linebackers on the market to begin settling in.

Boston College’s Luke Kuechly is a popular mock draft pick for Philly, but they won’t be taking him if they sign a veteran starter. The Inquirer suggests Stephen Tulloch, who has played behind Wide-9 schemes his entire career. The Eagles run the same system. “How [the Eagles] didn’t get this guy last year is beyond me,” said one NFL scout of Tulloch. “They may have to pay this time.”

Megatron is on a plane headed to Detroit for the 1:00 p.m. press conference. Johnson’s $18.86 million per season and a record-breaking $60 million guaranteed top Larry Fitzgerald’s $16 million per and $50 million guaranteed respectively, making him easily the highest-paid player in the NFL, regardless of position. The long-term contract also frees up cap space for the Lions, perhaps enabling a Stephen Tulloch signing. More importantly, Detroit has locked in the game’s most dominant skill-position talent. From a fantasy perspective, the deal cements Johnson as the most valuable asset in Dynasty leagues while stabilizing Matthew Stafford as a top-five quarterback.