METAIRIE, La. — The Seattle Seahawks’ defense, which emerged as the team’s strength last season, will have a new man in the middle in 2012.
Free-agent middle linebacker David Hawthorne, the Seahawks’ leading tackler during the past three seasons, has agreed to terms on a five-year deal with New Orleans, the Saints announced Tuesday.
Hawthorne, who signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent out of TCU in 2008, first made a name for himself as a hard hitter on special teams, earning the nickname “Heater” from Lofa Tatupu. When Tatupu was lost for the year with a pectoral injury in 2009, Hawthorne took over at middle linebacker and recorded a team-high 117 tackles despite starting just 11 games. He showed his versatility a year later, moving to weakside linebacker and starting all 16 games in 2010, again leading Seattle in tackles with 106.
Hawthorne moved back to middle linebacker last season after the Seahawks parted ways with Tatupu. He missed the season opener with a knee sprain, and played through a bad knee the rest of the season, totaling 115 tackles despite playing at less than full speed. During his three seasons as a starter, Hawthorne forced five fumbles and had seven interceptions, including one he returned 77 yards for a touchdown in a Thursday night victory over the Eagles.
Pete Carroll said at the end of the year that the Seahawks hoped to keep Hawthorne, but Seattle wasn’t desperate to make him a huge offer because of the emergence of rookie K.J. Wright who started games at both middle and strongside linebacker last season.
Since taking over, Carroll and general manager John Schneider have made a number of moves to cut payroll at linebacker, which was one of the team’s highest-paid position groups at the end of the 2009 season. Seattle restructured Leroy Hill’s contract in 2010, then parted ways with Tatupu prior to last season when he decided not to take a pay cut. When Wright, a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft emerged as a viable starter, the Seahawks traded former No. 4 overall pick Aaron Curry to Oakland.
Wright is the most likely candidate on the current roster to take over at middle linebacker, though the Seahawks could elect to keep him on the outside and find a new middle linebacker in the draft. Wright is the only starting linebacker from 2011 currently under contract with Hill still unsigned.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.
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