Lions Encouraged to Trade Player Who Sat Out Season Opener

Getty The Detroit Lions are being encouraged to trade an active player who one Sports Illustrated writer says "does not fit."

The Detroit Lions were up against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field on Sunday, September 8, and pulled off a 26-20 overtime victory. Lions’ James Houston didn’t play in the game, even though he was healthy.

In a feature published September 11, Sports Illustrated sports writer and analyst John Maakaron says that he believes it’s time for the Lions to move on from Houston. The 25-year-old’s career stats include 13 total tackles, eight sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

James Houston ‘Does Not Fit,’ Sports Illustrated Analyst Believes

“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,” Maakaron stated in the article. “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.”

Maakaron added that all is not lost for Houston, though, since “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.”

He concluded, “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.”

Dan Campbell Discusses James Houston Sitting Out Week 1

During the Detroit Lions’ September 11 press conference, head coach Dan Campbell was asked about Houston and what it would take to get him active in games.

“Well, so much of it is, you know, it could be him or it’s the defensive back,” Campbell said. “So, what’s going to bring more to you? And, what plays into that is, special teams is a big one. What about injury in other areas? So, maybe you need the insurance. 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, 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.”

In a September 11 piece about Campbell’s remarks, Brad Berreman of SideLion Report noted that it “seems like a coin-flip Houston will be active on Sunday against the Buccaneers, at best. Terms like ‘he’s another guy’ and ‘he’s here, he’s working’ aren’t especially complementary, and it’s fair to say they’re only said when there’s nothing else good to say. So, a question that has lingered since the Lions announced roster cuts gets a notable bump this week. Why did James Houston make the 53-man roster?”

Berreman added that, “Houston was deemed unable to contribute in Week 1, and it’s starting along the same line heading into Week 2. Keeping him on the 53-man roster is making less and less sense. If he’s inactive again on Sunday, someone will surely ask Campbell a harsher question about the reasoning behind that decision.”