DONE DEAL: Detroit Lions scale back James Houston’s work at linebacker and …….
James Houston will be moving to a more conventional defensive end position, according to Lions coach Dan Campbell’s announcement. The competition for the backup SAM linebacker spot in the Detroit Lions training camp has gone mostly unseen. Derrick Barnes appears to have cemented his place at the top of the starting lineup, but Detroit has been looking for a reliable backup to fill the challenging position. The CFL star Mathieu Betts and third-year edge defender James Houston appeared to be the main competitors at the beginning of training camp. But coach Dan Campbell said last week that they were cutting back on Betts’ workload at SAM, and it appears they are doing the same with Houston. “Since Houston has been injured, we will work to get him back to playing more defense and let him participate.” that genuine situation to which he is currently in,” Campbell remarked on Monday. “He’s either rushing the passer or setting the edge.” A very flexible skill set is required for the SAM linebacker position. A player must have the athleticism and cunning to drop into coverage like an off-ball linebacker, in addition to the pass-rushing abilities of an NFL defensive end. Barnes is the ideal combination of the two, utilizing his defensive end background in college to enhance his growing off-ball linebacker abilities during the last three Lions seasons. Houston has demonstrated that he is a deadly pass rusher. In that capacity, he was a complete game-changer at Jackson State, amassing 8.0 sacks in just seven contests during his freshman campaign.
Lions. However, Houston has struggled to fill the linebacker position. When the Florida Gators decided to play him off the ball, he had trouble breaking into the starting lineup, and Houston has failed to improve that part of his game in his two years in Detroit. A few weeks ago, Campbell said of Houston, “He knows he’s got to be able to handle the SAM linebacker position for us, and no different than what we just talked about, consistency.” “We must have faith that he will perform his duties and that, in the event that we need defense, he will manage it psychologically. The Lions seem to have reached a stage where they don’t trust
A few weeks ago. “We must have faith that he will perform his duties and that, in the event that we need defense, he will manage it psychologically. It seems like Houston will never get to that level of reliability as a SAM linebacker in the eyes of the Lions. Naturally, that might be to everyone’s advantage if Houston is able to accomplish more of what he has shown he can do, which is to be a quarterback’s worst nightmare. That does, however, leave the backup SAM duty with a small and worrying gap. At the position, the Lions have begun to test out undrafted rookie standout Isaac Ukwu and starting MIKE linebacker Jack
From the previous season, Campbell had some experience there. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Lions tested a few guys at the position during the course of the following month, as training camp is coming to an end.