The 2009 Detroit Lions Positional Outlook: Linebackers

Over the course of the next week, The 2009 Detroit Lions Positional Outlook will examine the positional changes of the current offseason: how the position has improved or weakened, the current outlook for younger players in the position, and how that position group should fare in the 2009 season.

Detroit Lions fans know what a good linebacker looks like: Chris Spielman, four-time Pro Bowler. He looked like a good linebacker. Stephen Boyd, a guy the Lions were so high on they let Spielman walk, looked like a good linebacker.

Paris Lenon did not look like a good linebacker.

Since the departures of Spielman and Boyd, the Lions have not had a game-changing linebacker. It wasn't for lack of trying. Chris Claiborne, Boss Bailey, Teddy Lehman, and Jordon Dizon were all drafted to be the next big thing.

All of them came. All of them disappointed.

Ernie Sims is the lone linebacker drafted during the Matt Millen regime to be noteworthy in the slightest. Fans have begun to sour on him as well. He's been good, but has Sims been worth the ninth overall draft pick? Has he been good enough to have passed on Jay Cutler?

This year Ernie Sims will have reinforcements.

Larry Foote and Julian Peterson have arrived in Detroit with years of winning football on their resumes. Their arrival marks a culture change for Detroit. Peterson is the first bona fide All-Pro in Detroit since Barry Sanders retired. Foote brings two championships to the Motor City along with a desire to play in Detroit, which was unseen from many veterans.

Starters

Ernie Sims (6'0", 225): First Round Pick, 2006, Detroit Lions

2008: 113 Tackles

Ernie Sims has been a tackling machine since entering the league. Averaging 124 tackles per season puts him solidly in the top 15 among all NFL defensive players. The problem has been the location of these tackles. Tackles made four yards past the line of scrimmage are relatively useless for a defense when a "three-and-out" becomes an impossibility.

Coming out of Florida State, he was labeled a Tampa-2 linebacker early. Now, team staff and media are pressing the idea that he failed because of the system. 2009 will be a litmus test to see which view is correct.

Athletically, he has all the tools to survive the transition. Mentally, Jim Schwartz believes it will be an improvement.

Sims was considered a building block in '07, but a subpar year under Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham could mean a ticket out of Detroit. If he improves, he could be a perennial Pro Bowler.

Larry Foote (6'1", 239): Fourth Round Pick, 2002, Pittsburgh Steelers

2009: 63 Tackles, One Forced Fumble

Larry Foote has never been a professional middle linebacker. He's played seven years in a 3-4 system with great linebackers around him. Foote has never been a high volume tackle guy (61/year). He has, however, shown an ability to plug gaps.

In Pittsburgh, he was used nearer to the line of scrimmage because of his outstanding reaction time. This resulted in 14.5 career sacks and tackles much closer to the line of scrimmage despite not blitzing often.

Foote's biggest attribute will be his leadership. Although not the captain in Pittsburgh, he was a vocal spokesman for the team. He leaves the Steelers with no drama, released because of Lawrence Timmons, a 2007 high draft pick.

Whether or not he succeeds in Detroit will be a combination of how he is used and how he handles the new system. At 28, his best football could be in the next two or three years.

Julian Peterson (6'3", 240): First Round Pick, 2000, San Francisco 49ers

2009: 86 Tackles, Four Forced Fumbles

Since 2002, Peterson has been one of the most feared linebackers by opponents and one of the most underrated by fans. Peterson is a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro (most recently in '07).

The concern is that Peterson's best football is behind him.

He has always been a player who relied on toughness and grit over strength, and his most prized attribute was his speed. At 30, that speed is declining, and his body could soon be wearing out.

He'll do his most damage blitzing for the Lions. Around the right side of the line, he has always shown to be able to apply pressure, forcing QBs into poor throws. As with many 4-3 linebackers, his success is not measured in sack totals but rather in hurries and team INTs.

Peterson's best football is behind him, but he should still have three or four years of decent football left. Even at his worst, Peterson is probably better than anything the Lions have fielded in a very long time.

The Reserves

Jordon Dizon

The 2008 second round pick hasn't shown to be worth his draft status as of yet. A volume tackler in college, he is slight for the NFL and needs to add bulk to play MLB. Dizon was a pick for Rod Marinelli's Tampa-2 scheme. Time will tell if Schwartz can use him, but for now he's a special teams player and reserve.

DeAndre Levy

Turns out Levy was the backup plan at MLB in the draft for a team still hoping to sign Foote. He'll convert there from collegiate SLB, and the coaching staff thinks he can succeed. Levy is tough and strong with the physical tools to be a starter soon in this league. If Foote falters, the coaches seem fine with Levy.

Alex Lewis

Lewis has been in Detroit through its worst. At times a starter, he is best suited as an NFL backup. High speed and athleticism matched with deficiencies in coverage made him a bad fit for the Tampa-2. Schwartz will probably use him as a situation blitzer if he makes the team.

Zach Follett

Lions fans are high on the 2009 seventh rounder, and for good reason. The linebacker out of Cal is known for toughness and ability to stop blockers at the point of attack. Follett could be a candidate for the practice squad as he acclimates to NFL play or could be a solid special teamer.

The Rest

Darnell Bing

The SS out of USC has made a rough transition but could contribute on special teams.

Cody Spencer

A favorite of Coach Schwartz, he will struggle to make the team after recent additions. He won't have trouble finding work though.

Andrew Downey

A priority FA out of Maine, Downey could make the practice squad out of camp.

Overall

The Lions' linebacking corps is the strength of the team. Although too early to list it among the best in the league, it is no longer a laughingstock either. Schwartz and Cunningham are both former linebacker coaches. Expect them to ease the transitions for Sims, Foote, and Peterson and rotate players extensively to fit the situation.

The weakness will be the lack of talent in front of them. No linebacker succeeds when he is taking on blockers every play.

The linebackers will not show their true worth until the defensive line improves, but their improvement was a big step in the right direction for a historically bad team.