Detroit Lions: Does DeAndre Levy deserve a new deal?
All the talk right now is on the future of Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and his fellow pending free agents. While the near future has priority, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew should be thinking ahead to next year, when linebacker DeAndre Levy is set to become a free agent.
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If Suh re-signs with the Lions, defensive tackle Nick Fairley will almost certainly be on his way out of Detroit. C.J. Mosley and Andre Fluellen, also defensive tackles, are set to hit free agency too, and the Lions may not be able to afford them all should Suh re-sign.
A huge portion of the Lions’ dominant defensive line in 2014 could be wiped out in the offseason; it’s a sacrifice they may be willing to take.
The one thing the Lions simply can’t let happen is Suh’s deal affect being able to re-sign next year’s top free agents.
Top of that list: DeAndre Levy.
Levy was another key factor in the Lions’ success of defense last season, and they will want to be able to lock him up long-term.
Often slipping under the radar, Levy silently had another great season in Detroit, leading the NFL in solo tackles with 117 and ranking second in total tackles with 151, per ESPN. According to Pro Football Focus, Levy was the best Lions run defender in 2014.
Here are Levy’s career stats:
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 2/19/2015.
Levy had the best season of his career in 2014 as he continues to improve his game. His 121 tackles was by far a career best, as was his 2.5 sacks.
Levy will account for $4.5 million on the 2015 cap, but could demand a considerably higher contract next season. If he has another year like he did in 2014, his value is only going to rise.
| Sacks & Tackles | Def Interceptions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Week | Tm | Opp | Result | Sfty | Sk | Tkl | Ast | Int | Yds |
| 2014-09-08 | 1 | DET | NYG | W 35-14 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |
| 2014-09-14 | 2 | DET | CAR | L 7-24 | 0.0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-09-21 | 3 | DET | GNB | W 19-7 | 1 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014-09-28 | 4 | DET | NYJ | W 24-17 | 0.0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-10-05 | 5 | DET | BUF | L 14-17 | 0.0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-10-12 | 6 | DET | MIN | W 17-3 | 0.5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-10-19 | 7 | DET | NOR | W 24-23 | 0.0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-10-26 | 8 | DET | ATL | W 22-21 | 0.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-11-09 | 10 | DET | MIA | W 20-16 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-11-16 | 11 | DET | ARI | L 6-14 | 0.0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-11-23 | 12 | DET | NWE | L 9-34 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-11-27 | 13 | DET | CHI | W 34-17 | 0.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-12-07 | 14 | DET | TAM | W 34-17 | 2.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-12-14 | 15 | DET | MIN | W 16-14 | 0.0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-12-21 | 16 | DET | CHI | W 20-14 | 0.0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014-12-28 | 17 | DET | GNB | L 20-30 | 0.0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015-01-04 | 18 | DET | DAL | L 20-24 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Upcoming Games | ||||||||||
| Lions 2014 Stats and Schedule · DeAndre Levy Splits · DeAndre Levy Gamelogs · Penalties |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/19/2015.
Levy’s most impressive outing was against the Green Bay Packers in week three; he made ten tackles, including one against Eddie Lacy in his own end zone, causing a safety.
Oct 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions outside linebacker DeAndre Levy (54) and defensive end Jason Jones (91) celebrate after a sack during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field. Lions defeated the Saints 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
He was also impressive against Kyle Orton and the Buffalo Bills in week five, registering 12 tackles and one assist.
If Ndamukong Suh is to re-sign, the Lions could be without Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley next season on the defensive line. They might be able to get away with it by adding talent in the draft, but they can’t afford to let Levy walk in a years time.
It was an impressive season for Levy; he will surely feel disappointed to not receive recognition for this with a first Pro Bowl appearance. Levy is often overlooked in the Detroit defense, but general manager Martin Mayhew simply can’t overlook him over the next year, or he will be walking into a major contract somewhere else.
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