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GM Bob Quinn said he cut DeAndre Levy because of his dwindling production and his age.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

PHOENIX -- Bob Quinn said during the combine that he expected DeAndre Levy to be with the Detroit Lions next season. Eight days later, he cut him.

So what happened?

"Looking at his level of production the last two years, and compared to what we want to bring to the table with adding some youth, we felt like that was the best decision for the team at that time," Quinn said Monday while meeting with beat reporters in a cozy courtyard here at the sprawling Biltmore Hotel, site of the NFL owners meetings.

"It was a tough decision. We didn't really make that decision until a day or two before we ended up releasing him. We thought long and hard about it. We just felt that was the best decision for the team."

Quinn was clear that Levy's off-field interests -- which include extreme hobbies like hiking in jungles and walking on planes, plus speaking out on political issues -- had nothing to do with his release.

"None whatsoever," Quinn said. "This is what players do nowadays. Everybody has their personality. Everyone's got their social things that they want to talk about and I have complete respect for that. It doesn't matter who the player is, that's not going to factor into our decision making process."

Levy was due to make $5.75 million in base pay next season, and count $8.4 million against the cap. That's a lot for a 30-year-old linebacker who has played just six games the last two years because of a string of injuries.

But Levy also has a terrific resume, including finishing second in the league in interceptions in 2013 and second in tackles in 2014. That's the kind of playmaking ability Detroit lacks at the position, and it's something coaches say they remain confident will return.

Instead, Quinn jettisoned Levy without so much as asking him to take a paycut.

"We just felt like it was better off to kind of move in a different direction with younger players," Quinn said.

One of those players is expected to be Antwione Williams, a fifth-round pick in Quinn's first draft class who started three games last year as a rookie. Safety Glover Quinn said he expects Williams to shoulder a larger role in 2016.

Another candidate is Paul Worrilow, a 26-year-old free-agent pick up who started 43 games for Atlanta from 2013 -15. He could compete both in the middle and on the weak side, Levy's old position.

Tahir Whitehead, who started in the middle, also returns next year.

And, of course, there's the draft, where Detroit remains very much in play for a new linebacker.

"It's a need," Quinn said. "We'll see who's available when we're picking. We have lots of needs and that's one of them but we'll kind of see how it goes."