Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

Travis Lewis, one of the Detroit Lions' top special teams players the last few seasons, is headed to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.

Fox Sports first reported the deal.

A seventh-round pick in 2012 out of Oklahoma, Lewis made four starts at outside linebacker for the Lions last year before losing his job to Tahir Whitehead.

He finished the season with 21 tackles and one sack and was among the team's best coverage specialists, playing nearly 72% of the Lions' special teams plays.

While the Lions did not make retaining Lewis a top priority, they do have a hole to fill at linebacker with the free agent signing period set to kick off at 4 p.m. today.

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The Lions are releasing starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, and Whitehead is a free agent, leaving DeAndre Levy, Josh Bynes and Kyle Van Noy as their top returning linebackers. Brandon Copeland, another one of their top special teams players last season, also returns.

Lewis did not return a phone call seeking comment today.

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

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