FanHouse Larry Foote

Think IDP leagues are the way to go? Then Ballhawkin' is for you. Here, we pick out a few Individual Defensive Players that could have huge weeks and are possibly sitting in your free-agent pool.

With Lofa Tatupu battling a hamstring injury, the Seahawks started unheralded second-year player David Hawthorne at middle linebacker. All Hawthorne did was rack up 15 solo tackles, an assist on a tackle, and an interception against Jay Cutler and the Bears. With that kind of production and tackling ability, the Seahawks look to have found a potential starter down the road, and at the very least they've established great depth at the position. Hawthorne is a great spot-starter should Tatupu miss any more games.

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews." We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Without playing a game, the Detroit Lions have matched their 2008 regular season win total. Naturally, this is an embarrassing fact, and one that Lions fans are probably sick of hearing. However, it also serves to show how easy it will be for head coach Jim Schwartz to be hailed as a genius this season. The Lions will win a game (or more!) in 2009, and Schwartz has done some things in the offseason to point this franchise in a positive direction. It's time now for the players to see the benefits of their hard work during the spring and summer.

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

The last time the Steelers won a Super Bowl, in 2006, they limped through the encore season as Bill Cowher headed towards retirement, Ben Roethlisberger battled a motorcycle wreck, two concussions and appendicitis, and the offensive line fell apart. Now after winning another Super Bowl, Pittsburgh's offensive line is still shaky and Roethlisberger has already endured an Achilles injury and a civil suit, but Pittsburgh believes it has built a team that can make a much better defense of its "sticky Lombardi."

Following a historic 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions have undergone a franchise makeover -- both on and off the field. Martin Mayhew has taken over for the maligned Matt Millen and Jim Schwartz is now the head coach. They have made myriad changes via trade, free agency and the draft.

Thus, they look toward training camp with a new motto. Detroit is "The Land of Opportunity." The meaning to the phrase is that Schwartz and Mayhew have instilled a new philosophy, which they are calling "no starters, no depth chart." The theory is that nothing is set in stone and anyone can win a job in training camp (though I'm guessing Calvin Johnson is quite safe as the starting WR1).

Good news: Larry Foote is an NFL starter, which is all he wanted. Bad news: he went from the Steelers, twice Super Bowl champs in the past three years, to the Lions, winners of exactly zero games in 2008.

In Detroit, Foote will have to adjust to playing middle linebacker in the 4-3, and despite suspect pass-coverage skills, he'll upgrade the defense. (Given that the Lions were one of the worst units in the league, it would be hard not to. Point taken.)

Foote, signed last week and, after wrapping up OTAs with his new team, talked to WDFN-AM Detroit's Matt Shepard about the subtle differences between the Steelers and the Lions:

If you're coming off an 0-16 season, having any NFL starter want to join your team is a reason to celebrate. But what are the Lions getting in new middle linebacker Larry Foote?

Foote is a quality run-stuffer, which is why he's been a starter for the Steelers for five years, even this past year when the Steelers had 2007 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons ready to step in and play. He doesn't take a lot of false steps, likes contact and is a quality guy in the locker room and the community.

One of the reasons the Detroit Lions didn't prioritize linebacker at the draft was their belief that the Steelers were on the verge of releasing Larry Foote, and that the Detroit native and former University of Michigan star wanted to sign with them. If that was the plan, it worked. The team announced this morning that Foote has agreed to a one-year contract to fill its hole at middle linebacker.

The 28-year-old Foote, a two-time Super Bowl champion with Pittsburgh, is likely to start at middle linebacker ahead of DeAndre Levy, the Wisconsin linebacker the team picked in the third round of this year's draft. Levy, who played outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in college, would then spend this year learning the middle linebacker position as Foote's backup.

In its effort to rebound from the worst season in NFL history, Detroit is hoping a hometown hero can provide some optimism.

A little more than 24 hours after he was cut by Pittsburgh, Detroit native Larry Foote agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions. Foote said that he expected to sign his new contract on Wednesday -- and he will immediately inherit Detroit's starting middle linebacker position between Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims.

As expected, the Steelers finally got around to releasing linebacker Larry Foote today. The team's 2002 fifth-round pick hadn't missed a start since 2004, but with the emergence of Lawrence Timmons, Foote became expendable. In fact, last season, Foote was a two-down player, coming off the field in passing situations. And that, along with Timmons' progress and Foote's $2.9 million salary for next season, was enough for the Steelers to make a change.

Foote never made the Pro Bowl during his seven-year career, but he was an integral part of the defense, particularly after Dick LeBeau returned as coordinator in 2004. He was one of the team's most consistent players, and that, along with his age (28), means he won't be out of a job for long.

According to Pro Football Talk, citing a league source, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be cutting inside linebacker Larry Foote in a move that will reportedly save them nearly $3 million against the salary cap. Foote has been a regular starter since the 2003 season after being selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2002 draft, and has been the definition of "solid." There's nothing flashy about his game, but he always manages to get the job done.

His exit will open the door for 2007 first-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons to start next to James Farrior, in a switch that will manage to make the best defense in the NFL more athletic and explosive.