One of Detroit Lions fans' biggest wishes this offseason was for the team to acquire another edge rusher opposite of Adan Hutchinson. However, general manager Brad Holmes and the coaching staff seemingly believe in Marcus Davenport despite his injury concerns. As a result, Detroit has yet to add another pass rusher.
That said, there are a few former Lions pass rushers who are still free agents. On Sunday, one of these former Lions was invited to try out for a team that's become one of the Lions' rivals in the past few seasons.
Former Lions Pass Rusher James Houston Invited to Tryout for the Dallas Cowboys
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Dallas Cowboys have invited three edge rushers to try out for their team; among those players is former Lion James Houston.
The #Cowboys are working out several free agent pass rushers ahead of camp, including Jesse Luketa, Kameron Cline and James Houston, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 20, 2025
Lions fans likely remember Houston for his shocking rookie season. In 2022, Detroit selected Houston with the No.217 pick in the sixth round. As a rookie, he recorded 12 tackles, eight sacks, one forced fumble, four quarterback hits, five quarterback hurries, and 17 QB pressures in seven games. Moreover, he earned a stellar 88.2 pass rush grade from PFF in his rookie season.
No one was expecting a sixth-round pick to have that level of success in his rookie season. Unfortunately, that didn't last as the 26-year-old had a quick fall in Detroit.
In his next two seasons, Houston recorded nine tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, 12 QB hurries, and 15 QB pressures in 10 games with the Lions. Though Houston was kept on the initial 50-man roster in 2024 because of his pure talent as a pass rusher, he didn't make it through the season.
Houston was cut on November 26, 2024, a few weeks after Detroit traded for veteran Za'Darius Smith. Given that he wasn't a productive player even after he had a bit more opportunity, the move made sense.
The fact that Houston could improve the Cowboys' roster even slightly shows just how much better the Lions are. Thus, if Dallas does sign the 26-year-old, then Lions fans have every reason to laugh at their new rivals.