Justin Houston explains how Marcus Peters helped recruit him to Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens made a big offseason addition by signing edge defender Justin Houston to bolster their pass rush. The move made sense for both sides, as Baltimore gets a proven veteran on the edge, while Houston gets to play in a defense that caters to his skill set and can find a role for him where he can thrive.

When speaking to the media after Saturday’s practice, Houston explained how Marcus Peters helped recruit him to the Ravens, noting that the cornerback got in contact with him as soon as the 2020 season ended.

“Well, Marcus Peters called me as soon as the season was over with, and he was like, ‘What are you doing, man? Where are you going? Man, come to Baltimore. I need you here.’ So, I was talking to him, then the Ravens hit my agent up. I came in on a visit, and they were just explaining the scheme and we were walking through it, and they were showing me all the good stuff about it; I fell in love with it. I kind of knew I wanted to be here when I saw that.”

Houston also revealed that Peters told him that the scheme in Baltimore was perfect for him, saying that he’d love it with the Ravens.

“I heard how great this organization was. I know a lot of guys – I actually played with in college – they were drafted here, so it was easy to know what kind of organization it was. It was more so about the scheme. He [Marcus Peters] was just like, ‘Man, you would love it. You would love the scheme. The scheme is perfect for you. You’ll be one on one. You’ll get what you’re looking for.’”

Houston and Peters spent three years with the Kansas City Chiefs as teammates from 2015-2017. Earlier in the week, Peters went into detail about what Houston would bring to the team, and expressed his excitement that the edge rusher was in Baltimore.

Peters seemingly played a part in helping Houston land with the Ravens, but it seems like the veteran wanted to be in Baltimore all along. It will be exciting to see how he’s deployed in the Ravens’ defense, but 2021 is already shaping up to be a big year for Houston.