Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

NFL free agency opens two weeks from Thursday, and the Detroit Lions need help at a myriad of positions on both sides of the ball. Here is the fifth in a series of position-by-position breakdowns of the top players available in free agency.

Linebackers

The Lions struggled mightily at linebacker last year, as youth and injuries took a toll. DeAndre Levy missed 11 games following knee surgery. Josh Bynes and Jon Bostic were sidelined for all or part of the season with injuries. The Lions cut bait with the underachieving Kyle Van Noy. And Tahir Whitehead didn’t have the impact many had hoped in his first full season as the starting middle linebacker. Levy is the biggest wild card for 2017. He has played just six games over the past two seasons, and while the Lions hope he can return to form, they can’t count on that happening.

Levy has the fifth-biggest salary cap number on the team, and $1.75 million of his $5.75-million base salary becomes guaranteed on the third day of the league year next month. It’s possible the Lions will approach him about restructuring his contract – and there’s no telling how the dominoes would fall if they do.

This off-season, the Lions need to add two things to the linebacker position: a downhill player who can make plays behind the line of scrimmage, and an influx of speed. Dont’a Hightower is the best free agent available and a player Bob Quinn knows well from his time in New England. Hightower might be too costly for Quinn’s liking, but he would transform the defense. Among players who won’t cost as much, Sean Spence is a solid pass defender who has overcome a career-threatening knee injury, and Gerald Hodges had his best season a year after he was traded by the Minnesota Vikings.

On the roster: DeAndre Levy, Tahir Whitehead, Antwione Williams, Thurston Armbrister, Brandon Chubb, Steve Longa.

Pending free agents: Josh Bynes, Jon Bostic.

Top free agents

• Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots: Hightower is one of the best free agents on the market, regardless of position, and all you have to do is watch Super Bowl LI to see his impact. He won’t come cheap after turning down $10 million per year last summer, and there’s a chance the Patriots slap him with the transition tag. Quinn should have a good read on Hightower's work ethic and personality after spending four years with him in New England, but will he go all-in on a soon-to-be 27-year-old linebacker with a history of knee and shoulder problems?

• Zach Brown, Buffalo Bills: Brown was one of the steals of free agency last year, when signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Bills and responded with his best season. He finished second in the NFL in tackles and had a head-turning 18-tackle performance against the Patriots. He won’t cost as much as Hightower but could be an impact addition.

• Kevin Minter, Arizona Cardinals: Minter is one of the more underrated players on Arizona’s big-name defense, but he has been productive in his two seasons as a starter. He won’t cost a ton in free agency and, at just 26 years old, he should be able to help a team as a three-down linebacker for years to come.

• Three more names to watch: Hodges, San Francisco 49ers; Spence, Tennessee Titans; Audie Cole, Minnesota Vikings.

• One wild card: Mychal Kendricks, Philadelphia Eagles. He fell out of favor with Jim Schwartz last year, and now the Eagles are looking to trade the 2012 second-round pick, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s a few years removed from a 106-tackle, four-sack season, and while he wouldn’t solve the Lions’ issues, he might be worth a flyer as a versatile playmaker with upside.

Previous free agency previews

• Defensive line

• Offensive line

• Wide receivers/tight ends

• Running backs

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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