Lions Sign LB Larry Foote to 1-Year Deal

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.
The Foote signing is being hailed as a positive step by Lions fans, who hope his Super Bowl experience can benefit a team that last year became the NFL's first to finish a season 0-16. If nothing else, Foote's local connection means good P.R. for an organization that could use all the good P.R. it can get at this point in its history.

Foote was due to make $2.885 million from the Steelers this year, but it's unclear what the Lions will pay him. Foote's agent did not return an e-mail from fanhouse.com seeking comment.