Stephen Tulloch is surprisingly still on the Lions' roster, MLive.com reports.

Tulloch is surprisingly still on the Lions' roster, MLive.com reports.

Analysis:

Tulloch carries a $7.3 million cap hit for the final year of his contract, with $500,000 coming in the form of a roster bonus that kicks in either Sunday or Monday. He said last month that his time in Detroit is coming to an end, suggesting that he expects to be released. The Lions may just be waiting until the last second to make the transaction official, but it's also possible that Tulloch could accept a pay cut to stay in Detroit. Either way, his longstanding IDP utility will be in danger, as the Lions recently re-signed Tahir Whitehead on a two-year, $8 million deal and told him he'd compete for the starting middle linebacker job. Tulloch has an impressive track record, but he's 31 years old and coming off a down season in which he only played 69 percent of Detroit's defensive snaps. Be it in Detroit or elsewhere, he's probably best suited for a two-down role or backup job at this stage in his career. Whitehead, however, could emerge as a top IDP option if he earns an every-down role at middle linebacker.