ALLEN PARK, Mich. - After losing Ndamukong Suh to free agency, the Detroit Lions hoped DeAndre Levy would be able to lift their defence to another outstanding year.

Levy has played only one game this season, and now he's on injured reserve.

The Lions announced Wednesday that they'd put Levy on IR and signed fellow linebacker James-Michael Johnson. Levy's 2015 season has been ruined by hip trouble.

Johnson has played two games for Jacksonville this season and one for Tampa Bay. He started nine games in 2014 for Kansas City.

Levy had 117 solo tackles last season for the Lions. His contract was supposed to expire at the end of this season, but the team agreed to a four-year extension with him in August, avoiding the same scenario they'd found themselves in with Suh.

But Levy has had almost no impact in 2015, and Detroit has flopped to a 1-7 record.

Levy has started 83 games for Detroit since being drafted by the Lions in the third round in 2009.

Detroit has an open date this week, and there was no availability for the media Wednesday. The team's next game is at Green Bay on Nov. 15.

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