Tulloch is Finally Free
Posted: July 6th, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 72 Comments »We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. The day has finally come. LB Stephen Tulloch is a free man.
The full story with Stephen Tulloch: He had off-season surgery, didn't pass a physical until today, which is why Lions waited to release him
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 5, 2016
Now that he’s free, the question becomes where Tulloch will sign.
I recently wrote about the Eagles as a possible destination. The big problem obviously is that the Eagles have a starting MLB in Jordan Hicks. Would Tulloch come here to compete for a job or to be the backup?
At first glance, that doesn’t seem likely. But the relationship between Jim Schwartz and Tulloch is a factor. See what Jimbo had to say about Tulloch when he signed him as a free agent in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions had a press conference for newly re-signed linebacker Stephen Tulloch at its facility this afternoon. Tulloch was an unrestricted free agent and signed a five-year deal to remain in Detroit on Wednesday (terms of Tulloch’s deal are currently unavailable). His family, friends and girlfriend attend the press conference in Allen Park.
Lions general manager Martin Mayhew expressed how happy he was to have Tulloch for five-years, but Schwartz fought back tears at the podium.
“I get a little choked up because I’ve known Stephen since he was 20-years old,” Schwartz said. “He came in as a fourth-round draft pick (in Tennessee) and I’ve seen him (grow). It’s like a son, or a neighbor, or a cousin, and you see him develop throughout his career.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this day for him. To see the hard work and the perseverance it’s taken him to get to this point. I need to step off this podium before it’s too much.”
Schwartz did not need to say another word.
The Tennessee Titans made Tulloch its fourth-round selection in 2006. Schwartz was the team’s defensive coordinator. It is why the two men have such a bond.
“Coach Schwartz gave me the opportunity in 2006, when everybody overlooked me because of my size,” Tulloch said. “I wasn’t big enough, my 40 time wasn’t fast enough, but (for Schwartz) to see the person I was and give me the opportunity in the film he watched … He gave me an opportunity.
“I remember being behind a guy named Peter Sirmon, itching to play, scratching at the surface to play, knowing I was ready. My opportunity didn’t come then, but not too far after, I got the opportunity and never looked back.”
Tears? What is this, Dick Vermeil time? Those two men obviously have a tight bond. That absolutely could come in to play as Tulloch surveys the market.
The recent suspension of Rolando McClain makes Dallas a distinct possibility. There are a few other teams who don’t have a settled situation at MLB. Tulloch might want to go to a contender. Or he might focus on a sure-thing opening in the lineup. The Eagles aren’t a great fit in either category. Still, you never know. He might want to come here to play for an old coach and for a defense that has the potential to be outstanding. Dallas certainly doesn’t appear to be a dominant D. On the flip side, Tulloch might get to make a bunch of tackles for them.
I would love to have Tulloch, but don’t hold your breath.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. The day has finally come. LB Stephen Tulloch is a […]
What kind of salary is Tulloch going to command? Will the ‘Turds drive up his asking price? How much is a backup to the injury prone Hicks worth? Can we pay him? Do we get a family discount?
I’d love to have him here, but we can’t afford a defensive version of the Daniels contract.
2-3.5 mil range.
It’s basically fully guaranteed, if he’s injured in camp he goes on IR and he gets it all. He’s a vet so if he’s on the roster week 1 it becomes fully guaranteed.
There will be comparable level players available for a late round conditional pick (how we got Najee Goode) or waiver claim after camps close. Howie does well with these kinds of transactions. Pro personnel department will be very busy. These types of players will be younger, cheaper and have more of an upside and future with the team.
No need for a relatively expensive 2 down “break glass in case of emergency” LB in a rebuilding year.
“No need for a relatively expensive 2 down “break glass in case of emergency” LB in a rebuilding year.”
Truth that.
Understood. Agree with the whole “rebuilding” thing. But it’s not like our LB’s iron clad, guarantee 16 game players either…..
Is it possible that he could one of the other 2 spots instead of MLB where Hicks plays?
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“These types of players will be younger, cheaper and have more of an upside and future with the team.” — I know I’m in the minority with this thinking – but those are the reasons I’d rather see younger players than Sproles. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sproles. When this team is ready to be a danger in the playoffs Sproles won’t be here….
I agree, I would have traded Sproles.
I would have been ok with trading Sproles if we would have signed a vet minimum RB to round out the group of Mathews and Smallwood.
My thoughts exactly!
Isn’t Tulloch the dude that tore his ACL on a lame sack dance?
Not the only one, but yes. IIRC a Bears player did it late in the game down like 50-20 against a backup QB.
[…] Tulloch is Finally Free – Iggles BlitzThe recent suspension of Rolando McClain makes Dallas a distinct possibility. There are a few other teams who don’t have a settled situation at MLB. Tulloch might want to go to a contender. Or he might focus on a sure-thing opening in the lineup. The Eagles aren’t a great fit in either category. Still, you never know. He might want to come here to play for an old coach and for a defense that has the potential to be outstanding. Dallas certainly doesn’t appear to be a dominant D. On the flip side, Tulloch might get to make a bunch of tackles for them. I would love to have Tulloch, but don’t hold your breath. […]
I can’t imagine Tulloch would want to come here to back up a 3-down MLB.
[…] Tulloch is Finally Free – Iggles BlitzThe recent suspension of Rolando McClain makes Dallas a distinct possibility. There are a few other teams who don’t have a settled situation at MLB. Tulloch might want to go to a contender. Or he might focus on a sure-thing opening in the lineup. The Eagles aren’t a great fit in either category. Still, you never know. He might want to come here to play for an old coach and for a defense that has the potential to be outstanding. Dallas certainly doesn’t appear to be a dominant D. On the flip side, Tulloch might get to make a bunch of tackles for them. I would love to have Tulloch, but don’t hold your breath. […]
The Warriors get Durant, then they get folks like Zaza signing below market deals, but the problem with the NBA is the Sixers tanking. At least we did it right.
If Wade goes to Cleveland the arms race is on. I’m not a fan of the superteam era.
Particularly since those super teams aren’t in Philly.
that would of course change everything. Can’t wait for that. Embiid and Simmons are going to change everything.
Quite.
Instead of worrying about reforming the NBA draft lottery system, they are going to have to make some changes in free agency… Something like teams can only have more than 3 players making 20 mil a year if a team drafts and develops the 4th… If you already have 3 players making 20mil a year, you can’t sign a 4th…. Something has to chamge. It’s really bad for the league.
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The regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs are already a Farce. It’s bad enough Realistically there were only 4 teams that had a shot at a championship, Durrants signing cut it down to 3 teams…,and because of Durrants disgraceful decision, it’s only going to encourage other players to be forced to leave their teams to form super teams just to have a shot at realistically competing with the Warriors, and this is really bad for a league that already lacked parity that makes the other 3 sports leagues entertaining
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When two or The top 3’players in the NBA, left their franchises to tag along with another stars championship(Lebron goung to miami and Durrant going to Tbe warriors), how can we blame other all stars who are going to start doing this when this is the cowardly example set by two of the top 3 basketball players on the planet… This is really really bad for basketball.
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What makes it worse is this is uneccessary. Warriors can win a ring without Durrant.,. And Durrant is fully capable of winning in OKC with westbrook, Oladipo and steve Adams, along with one of the best GMs working to constantly improve the team
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Time for NBA free agency reform! It has to be done, unfortunately you may not be able to change it in time for next summer, and it can get even worse with the cap going up again next summer, a ton of great players befoming free agents who will have to consider leaving their teams to stand a Chance of beating the Warriors,.,,.
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Not sure if Free agency reform can just be done by having the owners vote on it, or if it has to be changed in the collective bargaining agreement…. But it’s not a money issue. Players can still make the same amount of money, they just won’t be able to sign a 20mil contract with a team that akready has 3 players making that type of money.
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Only other option is topen give teams franchise Tags to keep players like we see in the NFL… But I think that would be a collective bargaining issue
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I understand the frustration with the system in place, but why is it disgraceful for Durrant to accept the best job offer he received after his employer let his contract run out?
Would you be calling Dez cowardly and disgraceful if Dallas allowed his contract to expire and he chose to come to Philly?
Well Philly and GS are in no way equivalent, Durant going to GS is like the 2007 Patriots getting to add Calvin Johnson to go with Randy Moss.
Agreed. And it sucks for the rest of fans, meaning it is a bad league setup, but I still don’t see how Durant is to blame.
the NBA keeps finding ways to make the league unwatchable
“after his employer let his contract run out” Nobody was re-upping without being able to take advantage of the new cap. One of the few times you have a situation where marquee guys have the incentive to look around.
Like with Steve’s point, I don’t disagree. Still, I don’t see any reason this makes Durant a disgraceful coward.
Agree 100%, i don’t like the move – as if GS wasn’t already too stacked – but doesn’t make me feel badly about him.
It’s funny, i thought when LBJ left MIA we were out of the superteam era.
Eh. The Celtics are doing it right. The Sixers only got the first pick because they fired Hinkie after three years of tanking.
The Celtics started from a waaaaaay better position. And right now unless the Celtics find a superstar we are in a better position.
Well, they’ve got lottery picks in each of the next two years, and room for a max contract even with Horford on the books.
yes, because they started way ahead of us. And look, there are two Sixers I wouldn’t trade for anyone on the Celtics. So yes, other than the “find a potential superstar” (the hardest part) the Celtics are doing well.
Boston has not won jack and won’t win anything because being mediocre to good is not enough. The 76ers were in that purgatory for years and all they did was prevent themselves from ever winning anything. Boston will get to a certain point where they have to either go for it or rebuild. Going for it means trying to compete with GS, SA and Cleveland. Without at least one super star, they will never make it. That is why Hinkie was trying to build a great team with multiple super stars gathered either via the draft or FA with the massive cap space we have once we are attractive to those types of players – that is the only way to win in the NBA today. The NBA pressured the 76ers and got Hinkie fired while they have allowed their league to be taken over by the players and have 3-4 super teams vie for the trophy every year with the other 27 teams dying in purgatory or rebuilding by tanking since that is the fastest way to get the next super star. It is a joke of a league.
The Celtics won a championship 8 years ago, and were in the finals 6 years ago, so Danny Ainge’s perspective carries a little more weight than Hinkie’s experience of never having won a playoff game.
They just won 48 games, signed Al Horford, and were a finalist for Durant.
They also picked third this year, and have lottery picks for the next two years.
And, more importantly, the NBA will not allow a tanking team to pick first. Hinkie’s “Process” required his being fired for them to get Simmons.
That was a totally different team and constructed when they already had their super star, Pierce, that they drafted. That is the point, a team needs the super star to attract the other very good players and give them a real shot at tbe title. That was also before tbe rise of James and Curry.
Ainge has got to get a super star with this current team. Horford is not a super star despite their overpayment of him. They’ll be stuck in that win range and never win a ring unless that happens.
The NBA will never allow a tanking team to pick 1st? What? They just did with tbe 76ers as they did with the Cavs back in 2002 who picked James after losing 65 games. How do you think most.of the teams with super stars got them? By winning 40+ games? Uh no.
A) Of course the draft is rigged, and of course the NBA is a joke. It’s nearly impossible for the Cavs to have picked first three years in a row, and it’s nearly impossible for the lottery order to go exactly as projected, like it did this year.
B) The Cavs and Spurs got those initial picks because they sucked, not because they tanked. The Spurs lost David Robinson and Chuck Person for the full season, and Sean Elliot, another of their top five scorers from 95-96, missed over 40 games. The Cavs traded Andre Miller for Darius Miles, who busted…after causing Lamond Murray to force his way out of Cleveland. They were genuinely incompetent, not consciously tanking.
Is Hicks so entrenched as our MLB that Tulloch wouldn’t see, or be given, an opportunity to reunite with his old coach and recapture his spot? I am as hopeful for Hicks as the next guy, but he is a mid-round pick with 1/2 a good season on his resume and hasn’t had a healthy season since peewee. There is a chance there.
Jordan Hicks is a powerhouse that will revolutionize the way modern football is played.
Tulloch who is 31 and couldn’t pass a physical until today, you want to sit our 24 year old Hicks….why? Do you think we are going to the SB this year? Because we aren’t.
If we wanted Tulloch, we could have just kept Mufasa… Probably not a big difference between Demeco’s,current ability and Tulloch coming off an injury
Tulloch is still far more functional than Mufasa after that second Achilles tear.
“…I am as hopeful for Hicks as the next guy…”
From my post you took away that I am proposing Hicks should be benched? I must have explained myself poorly, for that wasn’t my intent. My thought was that Tulloch might not see the position for his old coach as sewn up as it would be with a Kuechly-type of established, pedigreed player.
You’re pretty much adding him for leadership at this point.
Hicks has been entrenched in the training room for 3 of his last 4 seasons; so I wouldn’t assume we’re “set” with him at LB.
I’d love to add Tulloch but I don’t see why he would sign with us so I won’t bother getting my hopes up.
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He will find opportunities to actually play instead of backing up our puppies,
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Im already preparing myself for when he signs with Dallas to replace Donkey McClain
yeah and durant wasnt gonna sign with the warriors either,
He is 31, had ankle surgery and could not pass a physical for many months? I’d say pass unless you can get him cheaply. We badly need LB depth and I know the pickings are going to be slim, but I’d rather get a young guy we may be able to develop.
He’s 31, expensive and we are not contending this year.
We don’t have much cap space either.
And even with his relationship with Schwartz, we are not sure if Jim will be here next year, or he will take some HC job if offered.
So, not worth it
I haven’t watched any of Tulloch’s recent tape, but my impression is that he’s a guy who’s 31, has started to accumulate a fair amount of injuries and has lost a step, leaving him as a 2 down LB who’s savvy enough to still play the run reasonably well as long as he doesn’t have to run sideline to sideline and who’s a liability against the pass these days due to a lack of speed.
As such, is there much of a difference between him and DeMeco Ryans at this point? If so, how much of a difference? If not, why wouldn’t we just bring DeMeco back this year? He’s a team leader, respected in the locker room, and we know he’s willing to play the backup roll. He’d also probably be cheaper as well.
So ROTO says coaches think Rowe sucks – like 4th on the depth chart and the Leodis is #1. Any insight? I guess given that the other guys are vets #4 isn’t bad but thought he’d be higher ranked.
I have a feeling that’s them just throwing stuff out there during a slow news period since Rowe was somewhat surprisingly not in the starting lineup during OTAs. He looked pretty darn good last year and I’ve seen reports that he’s Undlin’s favorite pupil or something to that nature. I’d imagine if anything they might be trying to light a bit of a fire under him. But, he’s a big physical corner. Those guys do well when they can get their hands on WRs and redirect them. They always tend to look bad in shorts in May.
I would agree 100%; June 6th stories about depth charts are trash.
Jury is out until we see him in a new scheme
I’d throw a couple mil at Tulloch for the same reason we’re throwing it at chase daniels.
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Ags will be no. 2 on the depth chart. Though not sure what that really means – anyone know if Jmatt is playing outside or is he mostly in the slot?
Everything I have read indicates JMatt is going to be primarily working out of the slot. But I have to assume he is going to be on the field 100% of the time, including 2 WR sets.
If he balloons up a bit this offseason, maybe he’ll start to resemble this former slab of beef the Eagles played at MLB in ’02.
Fond memories of playing drunk Madden after coming from the bars trying to use Kirkland to tackle Vick. I don’t think I ever succeeded.
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I’ll never forget Gruden torching him with shallow crossers in the NFCCG that year.
Yup and Joe Jurevicius running away perpetually from Blaine Bishop.
My roommate nicknamed Kirkland ‘The Blob’ as he couldn’t be moved and enveloped anything near him. The only problem is that has the same movement limitations as The Blob.
Still pains me to say but Gruden/Muir outcoached JJ in that game and constantly found ways to exploit the two weakest links in the ’02 defense (Bishop and Kirkland).
A lot of people point to Reid allowing Trotter to depart as coming home to roost against Tampa, but for my money, if Damon Moore doesn’t tear up his knee against the Rams the previous January, the Eagles win the Super Bowl in 02-03. We were that close.
Or Jim Johnson could have just stuck with Michael Lewis, who filled in better than Bishop that year while Bishop was out.
I am one of them ..Injury cant be controlled and should be actually anticipated .. money, ego, loyalty, cheapness can be controlled
Go watch those “highlights” again; it was Barry Gardner in on those worst plays.
And that game is one major black spot on the record on Johnson.
That was one of our DC’s worst games of his career.
You could argue that the 2008 NFCCG against Arizona was almost as disastrous for JJ.
That was also a poop effort. The entire lazy and gutless roster of players and coaches got off of the plane assuming Arizona would just lay down and die because they just beat the Cards by 4 TDs on Thanksgiving. Even worse was it allowed scumbag Pittsburgh to win the title that year; which should have been ours.
Who are you saying is to blame specifically ?
I’d start with Reid and Johnson. But then with any and all captains. It was so bad.
I was trolling for Reid .. loved you calling him out on a major disappointment failure.
That was harder since accurate qbs did tend to give the Eagles fits. In the thanksgiving game we got pressure with four rushers. In the playoff game Arizona had cleaned that and we needed to blitz to get pressure. With a qb like Warner who could find the open guy quickly that completely changed the game.
The solution to that was to run the QB contain in the 4-3 base defense (lots of Hugh Douglas sacks), or the QB spy in the dime (or quarter, can’t remember if they had that in ’02), substituting Barber or Emmons at MLB. But that was only useful vs Vick.
The way to use Kirkland (vs everyone else) was to run the Mike blitz from every formation, put Kirkland right in between the DT’s, right over the center. Inevitably one of Simon, Walker, or Kirkland would get a free lane to the QB. If you didn’t get the sack, Vincent or Taylor would usually get the pick.
I played a lot of Madden in ’02.