Former Detroit Lions defensive end James Houston did not make it through waivers. According to the NFL transaction wire, Houston was claimed by the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday. He’ll now join their 53-man roster.
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On Tuesday, the Lions waived Houston after 2.5 seasons with the team. Detroit drafted him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and it seemed like he could be a revelation after an explosive rookie year. Despite starting the season on the practice squad, he eventually got his opportunity midway through the year and ran with it. In seven game appearances, Houston tallied 8.0 sacks.
But the next season, he dealt with an ankle fracture early in the year and did not look like himself during brief appearances in the playoffs.
There was some hope he would recapture some of that rookie magic in 2024, but it never ended up happening. He struggled to defend the run and became less of a fit for what Detroit wanted to do with their pass rush. While he has undeniable talent and athleticism to bend the edge and test the speed and reaction time of offensive tackles, he struggled with power moves that the Lions prefer to crush the size of the pocket.
Ironically, Houston will go to the Browns, where he could help fill the void left from when Cleveland traded Za’Darius Smith to... the Lions. Funny how that works.
We wish Houston the best of luck in Houston, and thanks for those memorable moments to close out the 2022 season.
