When it was reported on the first day of NFL free agency that the Detroit Lions were showing interest in David Hawthorne, it became pretty clear that he was their backup plan at middle linebacker. If the Lions are unable to re-sign Stephen Tulloch, chances are they will take a hard look at bringing in Hawthorne as his replacement.
With Tulloch still not re-signed, the Lions are taking the next step toward going with their backup plan by scheduling a visit with Hawthorne. According to Aaron Wilson, that visit will happen on Tuesday.
Seattle Seahawks veteran free agent linebacker David Hawthorne is scheduled to visit the Detroit Lions on Tuesday after previously visiting the New Orleans Saints , according to a league source.
To me, this situation could go in two different directions. One direction could be similar to the left tackle situation. Marcus McNeill took a visit to the Lions, and shortly after Jeff Backus was re-signed. It's entirely possible Hawthorne's visit could put pressure on Tulloch to re-sign. At the same time, we could see this go in a direction where Hawthorne's visit goes well enough that the Lions decide to move on from Tulloch and sign Hawthorne. I think the re-signing Tulloch situation is more likely, but anything could happen once Hawthorne makes it to Detroit.