Tulloch seems pumped to return to Detroit for the next five seasons. (US Presswire)
After three solid years in Tennessee, linebacker Stephen Tulloch took a bit of a risk by signing a relatively cheap one-year deal at $3.25 million to play 2011 with the Lions. It was a gamble well worth taking.

Following last season, when Tulloch collected a team-high 111 tackles, a career-high three sacks and a career-best two interceptions for Detroit (and made our No. 2 spot on the best free agent linebackers available!), the Lions and Tulloch have agreed to terms on a five-year contract, the Detroit Free Press is reporting. Terms of that contract are still unclear at this point.

The two sides apparently weren’t close on negotiations up until recently, ramping up the speculation that Tulloch could rejoin former Titans assistant Jim Washburn in Philadelphia and play in the wide nine defense (Tulloch, of course, had his best career success when he and Washburn shared a practice field).

Instead, Tulloch will try to help the Lions return to the playoffs for the second-straight season. Keeping Tulloch was important for Detroit, which already had wrapped up defensive end Cliff Avril with the franchise tag, to make sure that the main cogs in its defense returned for 2012.

Or, as Rapid Reporter John Kreger pens, general manager Martin Mayhew is "maintaining vital continuity."

And clearly that excites Tulloch.

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