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James Houston

Browns Claim James Houston, Cam Thomas

November 27th, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a month after the Browns traded Za’Darius Smith to the Lions, the AFC North team will pick up a player Detroit discarded following that swap.

Waived Tuesday, James Houston is heading to Cleveland. The Browns submitted a successful waiver claim for the third-year edge rusher, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Houston is controllable through 2025 via restricted free agency.

Busy today on the wire, the Browns made another claim for a pass rusher. Cleveland added defensive end Cameron Thomas after Kansas City cut him (to make room for D.J. Humphries), cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot adds. The Browns waived defensive end Elerson Smith to clear a roster spot for Thomas.

Neither Houston nor Thomas has produced much of consequence over the past two seasons. Houston has tallied one sack in that span; Thomas has not recorded any. This will be Thomas’ third team this year, as the Chiefs acquired the former third-round pick from the Cardinals in a trade just before the season. With Alex Wright on IR, this duo will join Ogbo Okoronkwo among the Browns’ pack of supplementary edge rushers.

Most notably on this action-packed afternoon for potential Myles Garrett sidekicks, Houston has a prolific stretch on his NFL resume. The former Lions sixth-round pick did not debut until Thanksgiving Day during his rookie year. From that week on, he racked up eight sacks to show considerable promise. Houston notched two sacks against the Bills and three against the Bears during that torrid run, but he has been unable to sustain it — or really anything close — in the time since.

Houston only saw action in two games last season, going down in Week 2 of last season and not returning to action until the NFC championship game. The Jackson State product suffered a broken fibula that blunted his momentum, and while he did play a rotational role in the NFC decider, he played only 116 snaps this season. Houston does have a sack this year, but he has only two QB hits. The Lions now have Smith in place of Aidan Hutchinson leading their pass rush, with Josh Paschal also back from a midseason absence. Despite Marcus Davenport also being down for the season due to injury, the Lions did not have room to keep Houston around.

The Chiefs had been without Charles Omenihu all season, but the veteran edge player is coming back from an ACL tear this week. Thomas, who also saw the defending champs trade for Josh Uche at the deadline, played all of six defensive snaps this season. The former Steve Keim third-round pick notched three sacks as a rookie but fell out of favor in Jonthan Gannon‘s scheme, being traded despite the Cardinals losing BJ Ojulari for the season in August. Thomas remains attached to his third-round rookie deal, however; that contract runs through 2025.

Lions Waive LB James Houston

November 26th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Ben Levine

James Houston‘s stint in Detroit has come to an end. The Lions announced that they waived the pass rusher today.

A 2022 sixth-round pick, Houston made his NFL debut late in his rookie campaign. The Florida/Jackson State product ended up being a standout down the stretch of that season, compiling eight sacks in seven appearances. The Lions were hoping for even more in 2023, but Houston was limited to only a pair of games thanks to a fibula injury.

Houston has seen an inconsistent role in 2024. He was pushed out of the lineup towards the beginning of the season by Marcus Davenport, but he started seeing more snaps once Aidan Hutchinson went down. Houston has seen time in each of the past six games for Detroit, but the team has also given extended looks to Al-Quadin Muhammad, Za’Darius Smith, Isaac Ukwu, and Isaiah Thomas opposite Josh Paschal. Ultimately, Houston was the odd man out.

“It just never quite worked out,” coach Dan Campbell said today (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “And look, wish him the best of luck, and sometimes you just need a fresh start and this could be great for him, so wish him the best.”

Based on Campbell’s comments, it sounds like Houston won’t resurface on Detroit’s practice squad. Instead, the third-year player will look to revive his career elsewhere.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/24

April 15th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Lorenz Metz

Washington Commanders

Today marks the first day for teams with holdover HCs to begin offseason programs. That date frequently coincides with restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents officially coming back into the fold. McCloud’s signing and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson inking his second-round tender leaves 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, also given a Round 2 tender, as the lone unsigned RFA. McCloud will be tied to a nonguaranteed $2.99MM salary.

A former UDFA out of Michigan State, Bachie has been with the Bengals for the past three seasons. The young linebacker has been a regular special-teamer in that time; over the past two seasons, Bachie has been on the field for more than 60% of Cincinnati’s ST plays.

The Commanders signed Tyler Ott in free agency. The longtime Seahawks snapper spent 2023 with the Ravens; the veteran staying in the Mid-Atlantic region will lead to Addington — a three-game Washington long snapper in 2023 — being moved off the roster.

Murtaugh and Metz are coming to the NFL via the league’s International Pathway Program. Murtaugh hails from Australia and has a background in Australian Rules Football. He spent a bit of time with the Lions in 2023. A German, Metz spent time with the Bears last year but did not make their roster. He was not with a team during the season. If Murtaugh and Metz fail to make their respective team’s 53-man roster, they can be carried as a 17th practice squad player via the IPP program.

Lions Activate James Houston From IR, Waive Julian Okwara

January 18th, 2024 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ edge rush has received a boost in advance of the team’s divisional round matchup. Per a team announcement, James Houston was activated from injured reserve on Thursday. In a corresponding move, Julian Okwara was waived.

Today marked the end of Houston’s 21-day activation window. Had he not been brought back onto the roster, he would have reverted to season-ending IR. Instead, he will be an option to play on Sunday against the Buccaneers. The 25-year-old has not played since Week 2 due to a broken ankle.

A sixth-round pick last year, Houston became a late-season surprise for the Lions by debuting on Thanksgiving and finishing the season with eight sacks. The Jackson State alum did not have a chance to build on that success this season, but like C.J. Gardner-Johnson, he will make a late-season return after a major injury.

Detroit has seen its Okwara investments deliver up-and-down tenures. Drafted with Romeo Okwara already on the team, Julian came in as a third-round pick in Bob Quinn‘s final year as GM. While the younger Okwara brother did post five sacks in 2021, he has combined for only four over the past two seasons. The Notre Dame alum played in nine games and started one this season, doing so as Romeo — effectively sidelined for two seasons due to an Achilles tear — made his way back. Romeo played in 16 games this season, working as a rotational rusher off the bench and collecting two sacks.

Despite the Lions making their first venture to the divisional round since 1991, Aidan Hutchinson has not received consistent help in the sack department this season. The NFL’s QB pressures leader came on strong late this season, totaling 11.5 sacks along with two more against the Rams in the wild-card round, but the Lions have no other player with more than five. And DT Alim McNeill, who joined Houston in being activated off IR recently, is the only non-Hutchinson Lion with more than three. This seems like an area Detroit will address in the offseason, though Houston coming back healthy for the 2024 campaign will bolster the group.

Having seen Houston, Gardner-Johnson and McNeill return from IR over the past three weeks, the Lions have one IR activation remaining.

Lions LB James Houston Returns To Practice

December 28th, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Ben Levine

The Lions will be getting some reinforcement on both sides of the ball before the playoffs. The Lions designated linebacker James Houston to return from injured reserve today, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The team has also activated fullback Jason Cabinda off injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Houston returned to practice today, starting his 21-day window to be activated. The second-year pro has been sidelined since the second game of the season thanks to a broken ankle he suffered during a kickoff.

The 2022 sixth-round pick spent a chunk of his rookie season on the practice squad before eventually earning a promotion to the active roster. He was a major contributor for the Lions down the stretch, collecting eight sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits in seven games (two starts).

The Lions could certainly use some pass-rush help opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Charles Harris has found himself in and out of the lineup, while the likes of Romeo Okwara and Julian Okwara have combined for only four sacks.

Cabinda has spent the past four-plus seasons in Detroit, appearing in 45 games while mostly serving as an extra blocker. The veteran last saw the field in Week 3, and he’s spent almost three months on IR while recovering from a knee injury.

Lions’ James Houston “At Least A Few Weeks Away” From Return

December 3rd, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Rory Parks

Lions second-year edge defender James Houston is “at least a few weeks away” from returning to game action, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. As we are presently in Week 13, it sounds as if Houston may not be back until the very end of the regular season or the start of the playoffs.

Detroit’s 23 sacks are the fifth-fewest in the league, and the team has struggled to find an adequate complement to standout defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Though he was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft and did not make his professional debut until last November, Houston finished the 2022 season with eight sacks in just seven games (two starts). It appeared as if he would at least serve as a rotational pass rusher in 2023, but he suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2 and has been on injured reserve ever since.

To be clear, Houston played in just 21 snaps in the Lions’ Week 1 victory over the Chiefs, and he may not have realized an immediate uptick in the 32% snap share he enjoyed last season. However, given the lack of production from players like Romeo Okwara, John Cominsky, Josh Paschal, and Charles Harris, Houston could have earned more playing time as the season went on.

Instead, he has been forced to watch from the sideline. Birkett reports that Houston spent one practice before Thanksgiving working with trainers, thereby underscoring the point that the 25-year-old still has a long way to go to get back on the field.

In an effort to bolster their flagging pass rush, the Lions recently added 36-year-old Bruce Irvin to the taxi squad and have elevated him for today’s game against the Saints. According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, the Lions were the first team to express interest in Irvin this year, and it took him several weeks to work himself into game shape.

Irvin himself noted that Lions LB coach Kelvin Sheppard helped him get an opportunity with the Lions. The two men were high school teammates in Georgia, and Irvin says that Sheppard “stood on the table” for him.

Over 11 seasons spent with five different teams (the Lions are his sixth), Irvin — the No. 15 overall pick of the 2012 draft — has amassed 55.5 sacks and 69 tackles for loss.

Lions Place S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DE James Houston On IR

September 19th, 2023 at 3:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The injuries C.J. Gardner-Johnson and James Houston sustained in Week 2 will lead to two key defenders moving off the Lions’ roster. The team placed the veteran safety and young defensive end on IR on Tuesday.

Initially reported as an ankle ailment, Houston is actually dealing with a fibula injury, Dan Campbell said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett). Additionally, Halapoulivaati Vaitai may be facing a multiweek absence. Campbell said the team’s right guard starter could be out for a bit, though he added (via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers) it does not look like an IR move will be necessary.

Gardner-Johnson may be on track to miss the rest of the season. The fifth-year DB is feared to have suffered a torn pectoral muscle. With Houston suffering a fracture, he may also miss the rest of the year.

Despite the Eagles expressing interest in re-signing Gardner-Johnson this offseason, he ended up with the Lions on a surprising deal. Gardner-Johnson, who denied a report of the Eagles submitting a multiyear offer, signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal. While players have landed big-ticket contracts despite season-ending injuries in the recent past — Allen Robinson, Bud Dupree and Dak Prescott are three of note — Gardner-Johnson was aiming to use this season as a trampoline toward a more lucrative pact. A surgery taking place would wound those aspirations. The Lions have exclusive negotiating rights with CJGJ until March of next year.

Houston’s injury will blunt some surprising early-career momentum. Houston went from sixth-round pick to Detroit’s practice squad, debuting on Thanksgiving Day. The Jackson State product managed to rack up eight sacks after that late start. He started one game for the Lions this season.

While it is not known if Gardner-Johnson and Houston are both done for the season, it obviously represents good news Vaitai avoided a serious injury. A back issue sidelined Vaitai throughout last season, leading to a pay cut. The former Eagles draftee also considered retirement this offseason. The Lions have Graham Glasgow back in place as insurance, and although Vaitai beat out the returning blocker for the RG post, Glasgow has been a starter for most of his career. While the Broncos released Glasgow to pick up cap space in March, he started 33 games for the team — at guard and center — from 2020-22. Glasgow, 30, has started 91 career contests.

Lions’ James Houston Suffers Fractured Ankle

September 18th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Expectations were high for James Houston entering the 2023 season, but his campaign will be put on hold for an extended stretch. The Lions edge rusher suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Further testing will be done today to determine if surgery is necessary, Rapoport adds. Regardless of if a procedure is needed, though, Houston is facing an absence of at least six to eight weeks. The news marks a disappointing turn for the 24-year-old who was looking to build off his surprising production in his rookie season.

Houston announced his presence with a pair of Thanksgiving Day sacks in his NFL debut, and he remained productive after earning a spot on the active roster following that performance. The fifth-rounder totaled eight sacks and 13 pressures on the season, despite seeing the field for only 32% of defensive snaps. A repeat of his 2022 play was thought to be in store, something which would have presumably earned him an uptick in playing time.

Instead, Houston is now likely headed to IR given the severity of the injury. Through two games in 2023, the Jackson State product has totaled just one tackle while remaining in a rotational role. His absence will nevertheless be missed on a Lions team which has registered only one sack so far this season. Improvement in that department was expected in part due to Houston’s success as a rookie as well as the promise shown by 2022 No. 2 selection Aidan Hutchinson.

The latter will remain the anchor of Detroit’s pass-rush contingent, with Charles Harris and brothers Julian Okwara and Romeo Okwara in place. Josh Paschal is on IR, so the Houston injury leaves the Lions even thinner on the edge. In the linebacking corps, the team will continue to lean on Derrick Barnes on the outside, and special teamer Anthony Pittman could be in line for at least a rotational defensive role moving forward.

Lions Place Charles Harris On IR, Sign James Houston From Practice Squad

November 28th, 2022 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

After re-emerging for two games earlier this month, Charles Harris will see his injury-marred season will be paused again. The Lions placed the former first-round pick on IR on Monday.

A groin injury has kept Harris on the shelf for the past two games. He will be shut down until at least Week 17. Given the timetable here, it is certainly possible the Lions — who have five injury activations left — just keep the veteran defensive end on IR the rest of the way. To take Harris’ roster spot, Detroit signed defensive end James Houston — he of two Thanksgiving Day sacks in his NFL debut — off the practice squad.

The Lions entered the year with reasonable plans for Harris, who re-signed with the team on a two-year, $14MM accord. Harris led the 2021 Lions with 7.5 sacks, helping a team that had lost Romeo Okwara to a severe injury. The Dolphins cut Harris earlier in 2021, leading him to the Lions on a low-cost deal.

Harris, who suffered the groin injury initially in Week 4, opened the season as a starter. After his first hiatus, however, he returned as a backup. The former Mizzou standout played only 24 defensive snaps in Detroit’s past two games. He has one sack and four quarterback hits this season.

A sixth-round rookie, Houston has spent the season on Detroit’s practice squad. Despite playing only five defensive snaps in his debut, Houston dropped Josh Allen twice. He figures to see more opportunities going forward. The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson positioned as their edge anchor but have dealt with considerable injury issues outside of the No. 2 overall pick. Most notably, Okwara remains on the team’s PUP list. But the Lions designated him for return earlier this month, opening the door to a late-season stretch of game action for the veteran pass rusher.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/22

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Thanksgiving will mark McKinley’s Cowboys debut after he signed to Dallas’ practice squad last week. The veteran will seek to be more productive in his reunion with Dan Quinn than his previous stops following the end of his Falcons tenure, while providing depth to a Cowboys edge group which has produced a league-leading 42 sacks this season.

Hobbs returning to the fold in the near future will be a welcomed sight for the Raiders’ secondary. The 2021 fifth-rounder was a full-time starter through the first five weeks of the season before landing on IR with a broken hand. Vegas has struggled against the pass, allowing more than 247 yards per game through the air in 2022. The team has three weeks to activate him before he becomes ineligible to play again this season.

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