When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, he had the good fortune of coming to a team that had on its staff a Hall of Fame-worthy defensive coordinator—who would later be recognized as a Hall of Fame player to boot—as he was tasked with transitioning from having his hand in the dirt to standing up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
When the Steelers released him as his salary cap—and soft tissue injuries—began to mount, he found himself in unfamiliar territory, the free agent market, looking for a new defense in which to play.