Saints Sign Linebacker David Hawthorne To 5 Year Deal

The New Orleans Saints signed a linebacker for the third time this offseason, agreeing to a 5 year deal with David Hawthorne. The 4 year pro out of TCU has surpassed 100 tackles in each of the past 3 seasons, leading the Seattle Seahawks each year in that category.

Hawthorne brings great versatility to the linebacker core, having started in the middle and on the weakside. He played on a one-year contract a year ago, and was clearly looking for more security. Seattle reportedly offered him a two-year deal, then rescinded it Tuesday afternoon. He visited both Detroit and New Orleans before deciding the Saints was the best opportunity for him.

Undrafted out of TCU, Hawthorne has always played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Many draft pundits pegged David as a borderline NFL player, who might be able to have an impact on special teams. After 4 years in the league, he's done much more than that. 350 tackles, six sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles in his four-year career are impressive stats, especially when you consider he received little playing time his rookie year.

With the signing of Hawthorne, along with the addition of Curtis Lofton two weeks ago, the Saints have inked two of the top middle linebackers available in free agency.