Why Detroit Lions are bringing back top tackler Alex Anzalone on a new 3-year contract

While the Chicago Bears raided two Super Bowl contenders for upgrades to their linebacking corps at the start of 2023 NFL free agency Monday, the Detroit Lions kept one of their own.

The Lions and linebacker Alex Anzalone agreed to a three-year contract worth a maximum value of $18.75 million.

Anzalone, who played the past two seasons on one-year deals, had career years in each of his first two seasons in Detroit. He made 78 tackles in 14 starts in 2021, and followed that up with 125 tackles, including seven for loss, in 17 starts last season.

Anzalone is the second defensive starter the Lions have retained during the free agent negotiating period. Early Monday, they re-signed defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs to a two-year, $6 million deal.

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Voted a captain last season, Anzalone was one of the top performers on a Lions defense that gave up the most yards and tied for the third most points in the NFL.

He led the team in tackles and defensive snaps (1,080), had 1½ sacks and 10 quarterback pressures on 60 blitzes, and cut his missed tackle percentage (7.4%) by more than half.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes said early this offseason he planned to take the same approach to free agency he did the past two seasons, when he prioritized re-signing his own free agents and made prudent veteran additions.

The Lions initially targeted Anzalone as an upgrade for their linebacking corps in 2021 for his familiarity with Aaron Glenn's defense from their time together with the New Orleans Saints. The Lions brought Anzalone back on a second prove-it deal last spring, before finally committing to him on a multi-year contract Monday.

Anzalone projects to start in the middle of the defense, along one of the Lions' two young linebackers, Malcolm Rodriguez or Derrick Barnes, with second-year pass rusher James Houston on the outside.

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The linebacker position was considered one of the deepest positions in free agency, with players like Tremaine Edmunds (Buffalo Bills), Bobby Wagner (Los Angeles Rams), Lavonte David (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), T.J. Edwards (Philadelphia Eagles), David Long (Tennessee Titans), Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals) and Bobby Okereke (Indianapolis Colts) among those slated to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The Bears reportedly agreed to multi-year contracts with Edmunds (four years, $72 million) and Edwards (three years, $19.5 million) on Monday, Pratt is re-signing with the Bengals (three years, $21 million) and Okereke agreed to a four-year, $40 million deal with the New York Giants.

The Lions, meanwhile, focused on finding help for their secondary and landed one of their top free agent targets, cornerback Cam Sutton, on a three-year deal.

They still have 14 players ticketed for free agency Wednesday when the league year officially opens, including DJ Chark, Jamaal Williams and John Cominsky.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.