David Hawthorne, New Orleans Saints Agree to 5-Year Deal

The New Orleans Saints signed former Seattle Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne to a five-year contract Tuesdday, just a few days after ESPN's John Clayton reported that the Seahawks were close to re-signing their middle linebacker.  

Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago reports that the Seahawks did have a two-year deal on the table for Hawthorne, but rescinded it Tuesday afternoon, according to a source.

The Saints recently signed MLB Curtis Lofton to a long-term contract, so they are set at linebacker. The Seahawks, on the other hand, are one of the most inexperienced teams in the league at linebacker right now, so they still have some moves left to make at the position. The Seahawks have no entrenched starters on the roster (KJ Wright started last year, but his position for 2012 is still up in the air), although 2011 draft picks K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith did show promise in their rookie years. 

The Seahawks seem to have three options at middle linebacker:

1. Install K.J. Wright as the starter: This would mean that they would need to find an outside linebacker in free agency or the draft. A player like UNC's Zach Brown, Utah State's Bobby Wagner, or Nebraska's Lavonte David would make for good targets in the second round, as each has the speed the Seahawks like at the linebacker position.

2. Target Luke Kuechly at No. 12: Hawthorne leaving Seattle was bad news for Cincinnati Bengals fans that want Kuechly to fall to No. 17, as he is back to being a prime target in the first round. The Seahawks could also find good values at defensive end or guard, so Kuechly is far from a sure thing—if he is available.

3. Target an inside linebacker later in the draft: James-Michael Johnson of Nevada could be a third or fourth-round target, but the ILB class is not very deep, so that is a risky gambit. Perhaps Seattle's head coach doesn't think so, because he thinks that there are "close to 12 draftables with good grades," according to CBSSports' Pat Kirwan.

Whatever the plan, the Seahawks seemed to be the party that made the decision more than Hawthorne did, so they must have a next move at his position in mind.