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Lamarr Houston

Pats Work Out Lamarr Houston, Philly Brown

September 22nd, 2017 at 4:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Lamarr Houston (vertical)

Outside linebacker Lamarr Houston was among those to work out for the Patriots on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN reports (on Twitter). The team also auditioned a pair of wide receivers – Philly Brown and Tavarres King – as well as defensive tackle Stefan Charles, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

New England joins New Orleans as the second team Houston has tried out for since the Bears released him from injured reserve Sept. 6. Knee injuries, including two ACL tears, slowed Houston in recent seasons and led to his release from Chicago, which signed the ex-Raider to a five-year, $35MM contract prior to the 2014 campaign. Houston appeared in just two games last season, though he’s only two years removed from an eight-sack showing.

If Houston signs with the Patriots and returns to something resembling his past form, the 30-year-old could provide a boost to a Patriots defense in need of help. The reigning Super Bowl champions’ stop unit ranks last in DVOA through two weeks and has only totaled four sacks.

On the other side of the ball, the Pats haven’t been the picture of health this year at wideout, which could explain their interest in Brown. The 25-year-old has been available since the Bills waived him Sept. 3, and he has worked out with the Jets, Saints and Pats since then. Brown spent the first three years of his career in Carolina, where he hauled in 79 catches, 1,019 yards and seven touchdowns across 43 games (22 starts).

Saints Work Out LB Lamarr Houston

September 19th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Veteran outside linebacker Lamarr Houston is working out for the Saints on Tuesday, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Houston has a history with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen from his time as the Raiders’ head coach. Lamarr Houston (vertical)

Houston was released by the Bears from IR earlier this month. He had two ACL tears in the past and a new knee injury was holding him back in 2017. The good news is that the new injury is not all that severe. The two sides parted ways with a short two-week injury settlement, a sign that Houston should be ready to go right away.

The Saints could certainly use a player like Houston. Through two games, they have allowed an average of 512.5 yards. They’re also 0-2 with losses to the Vikings and Patriots.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Packers

September 8th, 2017 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When asked if edge rusher Pernell McPhee will ever be the player he was when the Bears originally signed him in 2015, Chicago defensive Vic Fangio gave a simple answer: “Probably not” (Twitter link via Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly). McPhee, who was surprisingly removed from the physically unable to perform list and placed on Chicago’s initial 53-man roster, has injured both knees during his time with the Bears. While he’s missed nine games over the past two seasons, McPhee has still been relatively effective when on the field, but may need his snaps limited going forward.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • The Vikings surprisingly released offensive guard Alex Boone last week, and former Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway hears that Boone had reported to camp out of shape and “wasn’t really prepared for the season,” as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Even so, the the Vikings decision to cut ties with Boone means they spent roughly $10MM on one season of production. Boone has since landed with the Cardinals, where he’ll initially serve as a backup.
  • Ahmad Brooks‘ one-year deal with the Packers has a base value of $3.5MM and includes a $1.75MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The veteran pass rusher can also earn $750K in gameday active roster bonuses, plus $1.5MM in sack-based incentives, although those are considered not-likely-to-be-earned, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That means the sack threshold Brooks must reach is greater than six, the total he hit in 2017. Now 33 years old, Brooks will serve in a rotational edge defender capacity for Green Bay.
  • Another 49ers castoff — defensive lineman Quinton Dial — also recently agreed to a one-year pact with the Packers, and his deal will pay him one dollar more than the veteran’s minimum ($775,001), reports Silverstein (Twitter link). By adding that single dollar, Green Bay has kept open the possibility of extending Dial in-season. Had Dial simply signed for the minimum, the Packers wouldn’t have had the right to give him a new contract until after the new league year opens in the spring.
  • The Bears and defender Lamarr Houston agreed to a two-week injury settlement that precipitated his release, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Technically, Chicago could re-sign Houston in five weeks (time of the settlement plus a three-week waiting period), but that seems highly unlikely. But the two-week timetable means Houston should be healthy soon, meaning he could quickly latch on with another club.

Bears Release Lamarr Houston From IR

September 6th, 2017 at 6:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Lamarr Houston is free to sign with any team. At least, he’ll be able to once he’s healthy. The Bears have released the linebacker from injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll be ready to audition for clubs sometime next week. Lamarr Houston (Vertical)

Houston, 30, has had two ACL tears in the past and a new knee injury has left him on the shelf once again. He didn’t do much in Chicago after signing a five-year, $35MM free agent with the Bears in 2014, but he was a quality edge rusher in previous seasons with the Raiders.

In three seasons with the Bears, Houston has appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only ten starts. With the Raiders, he did not miss a single regular season game from 2010-2013 and started in all but four of those contests.

Houston’s next deal will likely be close to the league minimum but may include some incentives for play time.

Bears Make Cuts, Reach 53

September 2nd, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears took time to announce their 53-man roster, but they got it done before the deadline. Here’s how:

Released:

Officially Placed On IR:

Waived:

Waived/Injured:

Bears Likely To Release Lamarr Houston

September 2nd, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears will place edge rusher Lamarr Houston on injured reserve with the intention of reaching an injury settlement, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.Lamarr Houston (vertical)

Houston, who has torn his ACL twice in the past, doesn’t have any structural damage to his knee this time around, per Pelissero, but he’ll go on IR nonetheless. An injury settlement would pay Houston for the time it takes him to recover, and allow him to sign with any club when the settlement timetable expires.

Long an underrated player with the Raiders, Houston hasn’t been able to contribute much after inking a five-year, $35MM contract with Chicago prior to the 2014 campaign. In three seasons with the Bears, the 30-year-old Houston has appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only 10 starts. He’s managed nine total sacks in Chicago, but eight of those came in 2015, his only healthy year with the Bears.

Chicago will create $6MM in cap room by releasing Houston, but it will also incur nearly $1MM in dead money in each of the next two seasons.

Bears’ Lamarr Houston Done For Season

September 20th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears’ worst fears were confirmed by an MRI today. Lamarr Houston has suffered a torn ACL and will be placed on season-ending IR, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Lamarr Houston (vertical)

[RELATED: Thumb Injury For Danny Trevathan]

Houston is no stranger to ACL tears as he also suffered one in 2014. Of course, Houston suffered that injury while celebrating a sack in the midst of the Bears’ blowout loss at the hands of the Patriots. That ACL tear cost Houston the final eight games of the season and this latest setback will shut him down after just two contests.

Houston spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders before signing a five-year, $35MM deal with the Bears prior to the 2014 season. There are two more years on Houston’s deal beyond 2016, but the Bears can clear most of that money from the books by cutting him prior to June 1st. If released, Houston will carry just $1.98MM in dead money versus $5MM+ in cap savings.

Last year, Houston appeared in all 16 games for the Bears, racking up 42 tackles and a career-high eight sacks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears’ Trevathan, Houston Suffer Injuries

September 20th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears got some good news today when they learned that quarterback Jay Cutler only suffered a sprain and not a fracture in his thumb. However, the news isn’t so good when it comes to their front seven. Linebackers Danny Trevathan and Lamarr Houston both suffered serious injuries on Sunday, coach John Fox told reporters today. 

Trevathan will have surgery for a thumb injury, though it is not a season-ender (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Meanwhile, Houston’s knee injury is serious, though the team is waiting for the MRI to make an official determination on him (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). In the case of Houston, it sounds like his injury could result in him being placed on IR.

Trevathan spent his entire four-year career with the Broncos before reuniting with Fox and joining up with the Bears this offseason. He started 15 games in 2015, compiling 109 tackles and a pair of interceptions. The 26-year-old also had a standout performance in the Super Bowl, grabbing a pair of fumble recoveries in Denver’s victory over Carolina. Trevathan recovered well from a knee injury that limited him to only three games in 2014 and, thankfully, this latest setback won’t shut him down for the year.

Houston was considered to be on the 53-man roster bubble this offseason but ultimately made the cut. Last year, Houston appeared in all 16 games for the Bears, recording 42 tackles and a career-high eight sacks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Mathieu, Bears, Steelers, 49ers

May 23rd, 2016 at 8:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A report last Monday indicated that the Cardinals were nearing an extension with defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, and today Mathieu himself told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that the negotiations have been “smooth.” However, neither Mathieu nor general manager Steve Keim offered any sort of timeline for when a deal might finally be hammered out. Regardless, Mathieu isn’t concerning himself with positional designation as he awaits his payday.

“I just want to get paid as a top defender,” said Mathieu. “I don’t want to be slotted as a corner or a safety, because I’m not Patrick Peterson and I’m not Earl Thomas. I’m kind of different than both of those guys, but I still have the same type of impact on the game as those guys do. I just want to be paid as a top defender, and however that looks on paper, that’s what I want.”

Let’s take a look at a few more items from around the NFL…

  • Given that the Bears have signed Pernell McPhee and drafted Leonard Floyd and Jonathan Bullard over the past two seasons, it was fair to wonder if Willie Young and Lamarr Houston were going to survive for the 2016 season. Young, of course, looks to be a roster lock at this point, as he’s reportedly been offered an extension by Chicago. But Houston now seems likely to make the final 53 as well, as John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes.
  • The Steelers have begun to resist the urge to restructure contracts in order to create cap space, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune details. After redoing 24 deals over the past five seasons, Pittsburgh hasn’t reworked a single contract this offseason, as GM Kevin Colbert & Co. have decided to stop kicking the can down the road.
  • With Martavis Bryant suspended for entire 2016 campaign, the Steelers are going to have to turn to other weapons to make up for his production. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com examines which pass-catchers might be asked to step up, including Ladarius Green, Sammie Coates, Markus Wheaton, and others.
  • In something of an upset, Colin Kaepernick is still on the 49ers‘ roster, and if he wants to earn the starting quarterback job, he’ll have to defeat favorite Blaine Gabbert to do so. As Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com writes, that level of competition could end up being a positive for Kaepernick.
  • Though the Raiders‘ efforts to relocate to Las Vegas appear to be growing more earnest, the proposed move won’t be on the docket at the next owner’s meetings, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com.

NFC Notes: Bears, Galette, Cards, Hester

March 26th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears’ excellent cap situation (nearly $24MM in space) and the importance of having quality edge rushers are two reasons the team won’t release either Lamarr Houston or Willie Young, as Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.

On Houston, who had a career-high eight sacks in 2015, general manager Ryan Pace said, ‘‘He came on strong. Luckily, we’re in a healthy cap situation, so we can [keep him on the roster].”

Houston’s $6.99MM cap hold is the Bears’ fourth-highest total for 2016, while the $3.17MM hit for Young (6.5 sacks last season) is more modest. One anonymous AFC executive opined last month that Houston was a candidate for the chopping block, but it now appears he’s safe.

Regarding Houston and Young, who combined for 12.5 sacks over the final nine games last season, head coach John Fox stated, “Obviously, I like those guys.”

The fact that Houston and Young seem to have the approval of Bears brass doesn’t mean the club will eschew pursuing more pass rushers via the draft, per Jahns. On the contrary, they’d like to add speed off the edge. Speed isn’t the strongest suit of Houston, Young or Pernell McPhee, Jahns notes.

In other NFC news…

  • Washington re-signed Junior Galette to a one-year deal because of the uncertainty surrounding Galette’s ability to re-emerge from the torn Achilles’ tendon that shelved him for the 2015 season, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “Well, we’ve got to see, coming off an injury at any part of your body,” GM Scot McCloughan said. “But the Achilles for a guy’s explosion? It’s going to be interesting. That’s why the one-year deal from our standpoint made sense because, you know, does he still have the same twitch? Does he still have the same ability to get up field? I believe he does.” Galette’s contract doesn’t contain any guaranteed money. The 28-year-old pass-rusher notched 10 sacks for the Saints when last healthy in 2014, with current Washington edge-rushing counterpart Ryan Kerrigan registering a career-high 13.5 the same season.
  • Before agreeing to a deal with Tennessee on Friday, safety Rashad Johnson spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Arizona. If the 30-year-old had it his way, he’d still be a member of the Cardinals. Johnson told Zig Fracassi of Sirius-XM NFL Radio that he wanted to re-sign with the Cards, but they didn’t make him an offer (Twitter link).
  • The NFL’s decision to move touchbacks from the 20-yard line to the 25 next season should have an adverse effect on return men. Devin Hester, one of the all-time great returners, could be an exception. The Falcons might continue to turn him loose, according to head coach Dan Quinn. “There are special players like Dev and other returners around the league, they’ll still get green-lighted. Here’s a guy who is on the club for this unique reason,” Quinn told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 33-year-old Hester missed all but five games last season because of a toe injury, but he has since had surgery on it and is currently rehabbing.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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