Cowboys Add ‘Problem’ Deion Sanders Protege Before Training Camp

When it comes to edge rushers, the Dallas Cowboys need a contingency plan in case the ongoing, messy contract negotiations between owner Jerry Jones and NFL All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons go sideways.

They made another move to make sure the position group stays afloat in that case by signing former Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns edge rusher James Houston on July 22 just days after bringing him in with several other players for a tryout/workout.

“The #Cowboys are signing former #Lions pass-rusher James Houston, who had 8 sacks as a rookie in 2022,” NFL Insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. 

The Cowboys released defensive end Luiji Vilain in a corresponding move.

Houston was a sixth round pick (No. 217 overall) out of Jackson State in 2021, where he played for head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.

Houston Earned Unique Nickname in College

Houston played his first 3 seasons of college football at the University of Florida before he transferred to Jackson State, where he had one of the more dominant seasons in program history as a senior.

Houston, 6-foot-1 and 241 pounds, earned the nickname “The Problem” in college and had one of the greatest seasons in Jackson State history in his lone season playing for Sanders with 70 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and one interception on the way to earning FCS All-American, All-SWAC and SWAC Newcomer of the Year honors.

Houston impressed at Pro Day with a 39 inch vertical leap and 22 reps in the 225-pound bench press but was just a tad slow in the 40-yard dash at 4.74 seconds.

” ‘The Problem’ was just that in his lone season with the Tigers, raking in high-impact production at an impressive rate,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2022. “His Florida tape gives insight into his potential as an aggressive, downhill linebacker with modest instincts and results from the middle. He’s shorter and smaller than teams like along the edge but plays with an instinctive rush approach that effectively utilizes his explosive athleticism and bend.”

In his rookie season with the Lions, Houston wowed with 8.0 sacks, 7 TFL and 11 QB hits in just 7 games. Houston only played 2 games in 2023 after he injured his leg in Week 2 and played 11 games last season for the Lions and Browns.

Cowboys Signed Sacks Leader From NFC East Rival

The Cowboys made a pretty deft move this offseason — and one that went under the radar — when they signed edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. after he led the Washington Commanders with 10.5 sacks in 2024.

Fowler, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, played for the Cowboys in 2022 and 2023 before joining Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn when he became Washington’s head coach before the 2024 season.

The Cowboys signed Fowler to a 1-year, $6 million contract on March 14. Fowler made just $6 million in total over the previous 2 seasons.

“Commanders pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. figures to be one of the more underrated free agents this offseason,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote before the 2025 NFL free agency cycle. “ … Fowler was extremely productive in his latest stop, finishing the 2024 season with 10.5 sacks and 20 quarterback pressures. Teams looking for a budget sack artist this offseason should have Fowler atop their lists.”