ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Christmas came early for Detroit linebacker Ernie Sims.
A pair of offseason additions mean the Lions’ tackling machine will take the field with a pair of proven teammates for the first time in his four-year career.

Larry Foote will be in the middle and Julian Peterson will be on the strong side this fall, giving Detroit one of its most experienced and talented linebacking corps in a decade.
“I’m really excited,” Sims said. “Just the veteran experience they’ve got — the Pro Bowls, the Super Bowls — I just hope they can teach me as much as they can.”
Sims, who’s started every game since the Lions drafted him, was voted a captain for the second straight season last year and finished with the team’s second-most tackles (140). Peterson, a five-time Pro Bowler and veteran of a Super Bowl, said Sims probably won’t have to make as many stops this fall.
“You can see that sometimes on the practice field,” he said. “It’s almost like Ernie had to do too much last year, but now there’s some guys around him. He’s going to see that he doesn’t have to do it all and that’s going to make him a better player.”
Peterson, a 10-year veteran, had 86 tackles and five sacks last season at Seattle. The Lions acquired him for tackle Corey Redding.
The Lions were awful against the run last season, allowing a league-worst 172.1 yards per game as the team stumbled to the NFL’s first 0-16 campaign.
Linebackers coach Matt Burke, who worked under new coach Jim Schwartz last season in Tennessee, said the three veterans at linebacker should make it easier to install a more versatile scheme.
“In Tennessee, we saw Indianapolis, who liked to throw the ball, and Jacksonville, who wanted to power the ball ahead,” he said. “You’ve got to be versatile and ready to change. Larry comes from Pittsburgh where they’ve run a lot of different things and Julian played up and down before he got here.”
Foote, who earned two championship rings in Pittsburgh before coming to Detroit as a free agent, is looking forward to playing in a 4-3 scheme.
“In Pittsburgh with that 3-4, you didn’t get a lot of chances all the time,” he said. “Here, it’s all downhill. You’re out there to hit somebody. I love it.”
Foote hasn’t missed a start since the start of the 2004 season and finished with 86 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The trio has worked with the first team during early practices. Depth should come from sixth-year pro Cody Spencer, an offseason pickup from the New York Jets, as well as Jordon Dizon — last season’s second-round pick — and rookies Zack Follett and Deandre Levy. Darnell Bing, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, looked quick in early drills.
Foote, a Detroit native who played at Michigan, has been right at home since his return and a favorite of autograph seekers. He’s got just one rule.
“I’m not signing any more Steelers stuff,” he said. “You’re going to have to get some Detroit Lions stuff for me to sign.”
Notes: TEs Brandon Pettigrew (thigh) and Casey FitzSimmons (ankle), along with CB Eric King (foot) missed Monday’s practices. Schwartz said none of the injuries were serious. ... The coaching staff plans to conduct the team’s first practice in full pads Tuesday morning. Schwartz said he didn’t feel the need to rush players into full-contact sessions after being out of pads for so long. ... Owner William Clay Ford and general manager Martin Mayhew watched the afternoon practice from a golf cart on the field