The old adage that an NFL team "can never have too many pass rushers" is quite astute, and no team or fanbase understands this more than the Dallas Cowboys. Just a year removed from the Micah Parsons trade, reinforcements are finally and fully here for Dallas, which is undoubtedly a good thing.
Well, for everyone except for the players being replaced.
Signing Von Miller, in particular, shook up the depth chart at defensive end/outside linebacker, and it left veteran James Houston, who had a great training camp, in a funky position. As the presumed fifth edge rusher, he has to make an impact on special teams. And yet, that's not really in his repertoire.
Houston is a sack artist by trade, as he recorded 5.5 of them in just a 28% snap share last season. But if those defensive reps stop coming for the veteran edge rusher as a result of the Miller addition and the emergence of Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence, then Houston serves little purpose.
And his dud against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday did little to dissuade the Cowboys from having those thoughts.
James Houston could be odd man out in Cowboys' OLB room without bounce-back showing vs. Saints
In the preseason opener, Houston showed out in 18 snaps against the Seattle Seahawks, recording two sacks (one of which was nullified because of a penalty), a pressure, two tackles and three run stops. He also dropped into coverage twice and wasn't thrown at, so it was a solid showing.
Schottenheimer acknowledged Houston's prowess in the post-game press conference when asked by a reporter about his inevitability, similar to running back Malik Davis.
"The guy's just got a knack [for sacks]," Schottenheimer told the media. "He's a[n] awesome rusher, and he's been doing it in this league for a long time. I really just appreciate the way he works, and it's a special trait that he has."
But against Arizona, Houston struggled tremendously. With the same opportunity (18 snaps), Houston was kept out of the stat sheet, other than a missed tackle and a 14-yard reception given up. After an 11.1% pass-rush win rate a week ago, Houston pitched in a staggering 0.0% on Saturday.
Yes, you read that right.
Cowboys' OLB James Houston picked a bad time for a no-show
If the argument for keeping a player around is that they have a "special trait" for bringing down the quarterback, and they can't beat a backup Cardinals offensive lineman in any of their 10 pass rush snaps, then that is a concerning sign. It was bad timing for a lousy showing for Houston.
To be fair, Houston did get banged up earlier in the week at practice, so perhaps he wasn't playing at 100%. But the veteran edge rusher can't afford to misstep on defense; otherwise, a player who thrives more on special teams like Marist Liufau, Sam Williams or Tyrus Wheat could snatch his spot.
Perhaps the Cowboys keep six edge defenders, and there is room for Houston and a special-teamer to coexist. After all, Houston only needed roughly a quarter of the team's snaps last year to achieve the second-most sacks on the team. He can stick around in a rotational role.
But if Houston continues to trend in the wrong direction defensively, then Dallas could look at him as an unnecessary piece of the puzzle, making him a potential roster casualty. Houston painted himself into a corner with a poor showing, and he needs to really bring it this week against the Saints.
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