Detroit Lions outside linebacker James Houston does not appear to have a clear path to play anytime soon.
A healthy scratch against the Los Angeles Rams, the 25-year-old appears to be a player coaches must debate about weekly regarding what benefits he can bring versus another player with more versatility.
Clearly, the coaching staff views the former sixth-round pick as a player with an elite skill, but struggles to choose him over another player it feels is more versatile or contributes more on special teams.
Houston should appear in several games this year, and can still aid Aaron Glenn's defense. But, the long-term future of the former Jacksonville State University linebacker is now in question.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed why Houston was inactive Wednesday afternoon, and provided clues as to why he faces an uphill climb to be in the lineup against the Buccaneers and moving forward.
“Well, so much of it is, it could be him or it’s the defensive back. So, what’s going to bring more to you and what plays into that is, and special teams is a big one," said Campbell. "What about injury in other areas? So, maybe you need the insurance."
Currently, veteran Marcus Davenport is a player the coaching staff trusts to play opposite of Aidan Hutchinson, allowing Campbell to activate a player that can help in the secondary and on special teams.
Derrick Barnes is able to play and excel at the SAM linebacker position. Last week, Malcolm Rodriguez was also able to see the field. Campbell noted the coaching staff still trusts, and has a lot of faith in his abilities.
"Some of it is, what kind of production is that going to bring or how many snaps is he going to get? So, I can’t answer that clearly," Campbell explained. "But, he’s another guy – I mean, he’s here, he’s working, we’d love to get him up if the possibility presents itself or the opportunity presents itself. And so, we’ll just take it as it comes.”
Based on Houston's skills, another team may be willing to take a chance and fork over a fourth-or-fifth-rounder to see if he can be more of an asset than he is currently in Motown.
It is not to say Houston cannot be successful elsewhere.
There are just times when a player does not fit within the parameters of the scheme he is playing in and ends up staring up at players that the coaching staff has more trust in.
