The Philadelphia Eagles made the signing everyone expected them to make on Sunday evening when the team inked Stephen Tulloch to a one-year contract worth up to $3 million. It'll be interesting to see how the Eagles utilize the veteran linebacker this year. Doug Pederson said Tulloch is competing for the starting job at middle linebacker, but he also said Jordan Hicks is the starter there for now.
In order to learn more about Tulloch, we reached out to our friends over at Pride of Detroit. Lions writer Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) was kind enough to answer my questions.
1) Why did the Lions release Stephen Tulloch? And why did it take so long for the cut to happen?
"The Detroit Lions released Stephen Tulloch for many reasons. Chief among them was his cost. Detroit essentially saved $5 million by releasing him this year. However, there were some performance issues that Tulloch had last year. Tulloch had a lot of trouble defending the pass, seemingly having lost a step after tearing his ACL in 2014."
2) What are his strengths?
"Tulloch remains a huge force in his run defense. He actually led the Lions in tackles last year, and if there's a player in his crosshairs, he isn't getting by Tulloch."
3) What are his weaknesses?
"At this point in his career, because of age and injuries, Tulloch just isn't a three-down linebacker anymore. He can't keep up with the speedy, agile slot receivers and tight ends anymore, so it would be wise to keep him off the field on obvious passing downs."
4) How much do you think Tulloch has left in the tank? Can he be a positive contributor to the Eagles’ defense?
"I absolutely think Tulloch can (and should) continue to get playing time in the NFL. His value as a run defender could help out the majority of teams in the NFL, and Jim Schwartz, being well aware of Tulloch's potential, knows exactly how to use him."
5) What’s Tulloch like off the field? To what extent is he a leader in the locker room?
"Maybe Tulloch's best quality is his personality off the field. He was not only nominated as the Lions' representative for Man of the Year, but he even released a children's book this offseason. And if there's one thing the Lions defense is going to miss from Tulloch, it's his leadership on defense. The players' outpour of support for Tulloch after his release speaks volumes to the influence he had on the Lions' young defensemen."
6) Anything else you’d like to mention?
"I think that's all I really have to say on the guy. If you can put aside his shortcomings in the passing game, he'll become a quick fan favorite."
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Thanks again to Jeremy. Go check out Pride of Detroit.