One of the biggest goals for Bob Quinn and the Detroit Lions this offseason is to solidify their ability to rush the passer. The question is, how will they go about accomplishing that goal?
There will be free agents available who fit the bill and of course, the 2019 NFL Draft is right around the corner.
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On Wednesday night, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted out that the Kansas City Chiefs have been taking calls from teams interesting in trading for linebacker, Justin Houston.
Sources: The #Chiefs have had trade talks centered around star pass-rusher Justin Houston. With Houston’s cap number and the potential to franchise tag Dee Ford, Houston appears to be a rare top pass-rusher available. Teams have been calling with real interest.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2019
According to a report from somebody I respect greatly, Erik Schlitt from USA Today’s Lions Wire, the Lions are one of the teams interested in trading for Houston.
If you read my “What we’re hearing” article, you’d already know if the Lions were one of the interested teams https://t.co/ssjA4gPfCu https://t.co/FJ1GbCoYBT
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) February 28, 2019
Here is what Schlitt wrote in the article he referenced in his tweet.
If the Lions are active on the trade market, current Kansas City EDGE rusher Justin Houston is the name to watch. Houston, who just turned 30 years old, currently has two years left on his contract and would carry a $14 million cap hit in 2019 for the team who trades for him according to Over the Cap. There are some questions surrounding durability, but Houston’s hybrid ability to rush off the edge as well as drop into coverage would give the Lions the ability to be even more multiple on defense.
In 2014, Houston led the entire NFL with a whopping 22 sacks from the linebacker position. Though he just turned 30, he has shown he still has enough gas left in the tank to make plays in the opposing team’s backfield. This past season, Houston, who missed some time with a hamstring injury, recorded nine sacks in 12 games for the Chiefs.
Nation, would you like to see the Lions, who currently have nine draft picks, make a deal for Houston?
