Steelers Officially Release Larry Foote; Obvious Next Stop: Detroit

As expected, the Steelers finally got around to releasing linebacker Larry Foote today. The team's 2002 fifth-round pick hadn't missed a start since 2004, but with the emergence of Lawrence Timmons, Foote became expendable. In fact, last season, Foote was a two-down player, coming off the field in passing situations. And that, along with Timmons' progress and Foote's $2.9 million salary for next season, was enough for the Steelers to make a change.

Foote never made the Pro Bowl during his seven-year career, but he was an integral part of the defense, particularly after Dick LeBeau returned as coordinator in 2004. He was one of the team's most consistent players, and that, along with his age (28), means he won't be out of a job for long.

Foote, a Detroit native (just like Jerome Bettis!), said last week that he'd love to play for the Lions. And the Lions, fresh off a record-setting 0-16 season, could use him. They didn't get a linebacker with their first three draft picks. (Matthew Stafford was a no-brainer, but a lot of folks expected them to take a player like Rey Maualuga with the 20th or 33rd selections. Didn't happen, although the early returns are encouraging for safety Louis Delmas, who was eventually taken 33rd overall.) And Foote would probably move to the top of the depth chart the moment he signed with the club.

For as proficient as the Steelers are at unearthing and cultivating linebackers, they're just as good at knowing when to say goodbye.

"Larry has been a big part of our success, but unfortunately the realities of the salary cap made this decision inevitable," Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations, said in a statement. "We wish Larry and his family nothing but the best as he moves forward with his career."

Detroit Pershing Doughboys has a chance to be even more authentic. (It'll be just like that time Eddie Murphy wore a "Mumford" t-shirt in Beverly Hills Cop. But different.)

via PFT