Several teams were in the market this offseason for a middle linebacker, but it’s the New Orleans Saints who continues to take them out. While Steven Tulloch of the Detroit Lions was the overall prize, several others could have been had to help fill the interior linebacker positions around the league. The Chiefs need a very specific fit beside Derrick Johnson in their 3-4 scheme, but David Hawthorne apparently doesn’t fit the bill after the Saints signed yet another linebacker.
Josh Alper writes, “They signed Curtis Lofton earlier this month and now comes word that they have signed former Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne as well. The team announced that it is a five-year deal via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. No financial details have been announced.”
Hawthorne performed admirably for the Seahawks last season with three interceptions and 115 tackles. They also grabbed Lofton from the Falcons, and it’s likely they will lose some players via the bounty program suspensions that are looming over players, so this is likely to bolster the team for the short and long term.
As for the Chiefs, they have a very solid linebacking corps overall but many identify the role that Jovan Belcher has played the last two seasons as a primary need to fill in the draft. With Belcher and Brandon Siler, the duo could definitely anchor the position for the team next season, but an upgrade would not be surprising via the NFL Draft. It’s clear at this point than any further free agent upgrades to the position are not likely.
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