The Greatest NFL Starting Job Thefts of All Time
By Erik Lambert
Cleveland Browns: Jim Houston takes over for Jim Marshall
If people went back and looked at some of the players the Cleveland Browns traded away in the late 1950s and early ’60, they could probably build a championship team of their own. That was the case in 1961. Defensive end Jim Marshall started seven games for them the previous year as a 4th round draft pick. However, head coach Paul Brown apparently wasn’t impressed.
Marshall was placed in a five-player package and shipping to Minnesota in exchange for two draft choices. He would go on to never miss a game in his Vikings career, collecting 127 “unofficial” sacks and an NFL record 30 recovered fumbles. He also appeared in four Super Bowls, though he never won a title. The man who replaced him did.
Jim Houston was drafted the same year as Marshall. He took over the starting defensive end spot in ’61 but didn’t stay there long. He was asked to move to outside linebacker in favor of future Pro Bowler Bill Glass but made the most of it by becoming a four-time Pro Bowler himself. He was a fixture on the defense that won the Browns their final NFL championship in 1964.