Lions scaling back James Houston's role in effort to get his best

After being taken in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, James Houston didn't make the Detroit Lions' roster out of training camp. He was stashed on the practice squad to start his rookie season, before being elevated to the active roster in time for a debut on Thanksgiving Day.

Over the final seven games that season, Houston had eight sacks over limited action (140 defensive snaps). He was easy to see as a breakout candidate heading into 2023, as the Lions efforted to expand his role into more than just a pass rusher.

The SAM linebacker role is a pass rushing role in Aaron Glenn's defense, but it also has responsibilities in coverage like an off the ball linebacker. Derrick Barnes, drawing on his collegiate experience as a defensive end, has taken a lead as the starting SAM linebacker.

A fractured ankle in Week 2 last season set Houston's development off-course. He returned to action in the NFC Championship Game. That set up training camp as important for Houston, fully healthy and with a mulligan for having a bigger role in the Lions' defense.

Lions planning to scale back James Houston's role

Houston suffered a knee injury (bone bruise) in the preseason opener against the Giants. Apart from that, head coach Dan Campbell included Houston in a talk about the bigger picture at edge rusher before Monday night's practice (via Pride of Detroit).

"Houston’s been hurt, we’re going to try to get him back to more defensive end, and let him play that true position to where that’s what he’s in,” Campbell said on Monday. “He’s setting the edge or he’s rushing the passer.”

Campbell's comments on Monday are an easy follow to what he said about Houston previously (second h/t to Pride of Detroit).

"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,” Campbell said. “We have to be able to trust that he’s going to do what he needs to do, and that whatever defense we call, he’s going to handle it mentally and we can trust that.”

So the Lions clearly aren't satisfied with Houston's progress as a SAM linebacker, and they apparently don't think he can soon get to a spot where he can be reliable in the role. So they're narrowing back to what he showed he does best, rooted in getting after the quarterback.

The move to take some things off Houston's plate does not necessarily mean they're giving up on him, though in a certain light he could be teetering on the roster bubble. This is where it's worth noting he has played nine NFL games and 172 defensive snaps.