Houston, former sixth round pick of the Detroit Lions, was phased off of the roster when the Browns sent veteran Za’Darius Smith up north at the trade deadline. After a promising rookie season where he racked up eight sacks, Houston has struggled to find the field over the last two years, registering just one sack in that span.

The Cleveland Browns have claimed defensive end Cameron Thomas (Kansas City) and James Houston (Detroit) off waivers on Wednesday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the team waived defensive end Elerson Smith.

The Browns submitted a successful waiver claim for the third-year edge-rusher, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Houston is cont