The Oakland Raiders' Lamarr Houston has drawn some lofty praise this offseason. The man dishing out the highest may be Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.. Williamson picked Houston to be the Raiders for his "soon to be stars" piece, and he also signled out Houston when talking about which AFC West team had the best defensive line in football by saying:
Lamarr Houston could not be in a better situation, because he gets to learn his craft from Seymour. Houston is going to be great -- maybe as soon as this season. His athletic ability and upside are off the charts. He played very well as a rookie against the pass and run but might be elite in both categories by this time next year. He can be that good.
Well Williamson is not done gushing about Houston. Bill Williamson, of ESPN, asked him to get more specific on Houston and here is what he had to say.
Limitless future: "One of the best things about Houston is how good he can be. I think there is no ceiling for him. I think he can be one of, if not, the best defensive lineman in football."
Versatile: "He can play anywhere on the line. That’s another beautiful thing about Houston. He can play in a 3-4 or in a 4-3; he can do anything you ask."
Top youngsters: "I wouldn’t take him over Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, but those guys were the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the draft. But Houston is not too far behind those guys. It’s closer than the average fan thinks."
Great help: "I love that he gets to work with Richard Seymour. Seymour can really help Houston early in his career. That’s a big thing for him to learn from a great player like Seymour."
Comparison: "I can see him being like Tommie Harris in his prime. He can dominate like that … I’ve watched a lot of fun of Houston and I really expects big things from him. The Raiders have a star."
Wow! That is the loftiest of the lofty praise yet. "The best defensive lineman in football." It would be hard to exceed the hopes of Raider Nation for Lamarr Houston, but Williamson may have just done it. I mean, I expect great things from Houston, but I have had the courage to project him as the best defensive lineman in football yet.
Is the lockout over yet?
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