Former Viking Dropped by Cowboys
In 2022, the Minnesota Vikings onboarded one of the top undrafted free agents on the market after the draft, a man named Luiji Vilain.
One ex-Vikings defender didn’t last long this summer in Dallas, released on Tuesday, allowing him to test the open market and perhaps find a job elsewhere.
The Carolina Panthers eventually stole Vilain from Minnesota’s practice squad, and Vilain later bounced around to the Dallas Cowboys.
But that relationship proved to be short-lived as Dallas cut ties with Vilain last week.
Cowboys Cut Ties with Former Vikings UDFA Gem
The pass rusher will hope to find new employment before the 2025 regular season.
Luiji Vilain Out in Dallas
That’s a wrap for Vilain with the Cowboys.
Star Telegram‘s Nick Harris tweeted Monday, “The Dallas Cowboys have signed DE James Houston after a successful workout. A sixth-round pick by the Lions in 2022, Houston had eight sacks in seven games in his rookie year, but just one sack in 13 games since. In a corresponding move, the team has released DE Luiji Vilain.”
The moves arrived as NFL training camps heat up across the league, giving Vilain plenty of time to latch onto another team in the next several weeks.
James Houston In
If the name James Houston sounds familiar — not to be confused with Justin Houston, who played the same position as James Houston — it’s because he started his career with the Detroit Lions, a rival of the Vikings.
Detroit pulled Houston from Round 6 of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he’s played 20 games since, starting 3 and tabulating 595 defensive snaps in the last three seasons. Houston played promisingly out of the gate as a rookie in 2022 but has struggled to rekindle the short-lived success. He banked a 46.2 Pro Football Focus grade last year.
The Cleveland Browns employed Houston in 2024. The low PFF mark wasn’t enough for a sequel.
The Cowboys’ Defensive Ends without Vilain
These are Dallas’ defensive ends with Houston in and Vilain out:
- Micah Parsons
- Dante Fowler Jr.
- Marshawn Kneeland
- Sam Williams
- Payton Turner
- Donovan Ezeiruaku
- James Houston
- Tyrus Wheat
The group should net dividends, assuming everyone stays healthy.
Reunion Possible with Vikings
Meanwhile, while not incredibly significant, Vilain back to Minnesota could make sense. The team employs Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner at the top of the ticket, but after the “big three,” a few undrafted free agents — not unlike Vilain — fill out the depth, including Bo Richter, Gabriel Murphy, and Tyler Batty.
Vilain would probably end up on Minnesota’s practice squad (again) if signed, but the team valued him quite highly heading into the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
A reunion in the Twin Cities for Vilain cannot be ruled out.
Cowboys-Themed Media on Houston
BloggingTheBoys.com‘s David Howman opined on the Houston addition in Dallas: “Under Matt Eberflus, Houston can be deployed similarly to Carl Lawson last year, who saw nearly 75% of his snaps come on pass rush downs. Lawson ended up placing third among Dallas edge defenders in pressures and racked up five sacks, filling a crucial role as a rotational and situational pass rusher for Dallas.”
“Of course, the Cowboys are considerably deeper at the position now than they were last year. Dante Fowler is back after a year in Washington; Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland are hoping to take advantage of more opportunities with DeMarcus Lawrence gone; rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has plenty of hype; and former first-round pick Payton Turner offers hopes to be the Cowboys’ latest reclamation project.”
The Cowboys suddenly have ample DE depth, unlike last year with Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer in charge.
Howman continued, “Oh, and there’s that Parsons guy. In short, Houston’s path to seeing the field is narrow, but he’s flashed elite potential in a designated pass rusher role.”
“If the Cowboys can keep him confined to that role, rather than trying to turn him into a multipurpose player, Houston can thrive just as he did in 2022.”
Vilain turned 27 in March, and Houston will turn the same age in November.
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