Lions agree to five-year deal with Chris Houston

The Detroit Lions and cornerback Chris Houston have agreed to terms on a new deal. Houston's new contract is for five years, according to Tim Twentyman, meaning it will keep him in Detroit through the 2017 season.

This is a very important development for the Lions. Houston was really the Lions' main priority when it came to re-signing their own free agents this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Houston emerged as one of their top defensive players in 2012, and he is set to be the Lions' No. 1 cornerback for the foreseeable future.

With Houston back in the fold, the Lions can now turn their attention to filling their needs at defensive end and safety. Defensive end Jason Jones visited the Lions on Tuesday and Wednesday, and safety Glover Quin is in town right now. If the Lions land both of them, they will still have needs at both positions going into the draft, but all things considered, the defense will be in much better shape than it was just 24 hours ago.

The numbers on Houston's deal are currently unknown, but Dave Birkett reports that the Lions "were thought to be offering" him around $6 million a year before free agency began. Given that so many cornerbacks ended up on the open market, it's possible that the Lions could have ended up with something even more favorable than that.

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