It didn’t take long for Trinidad and Tobago international defender Julius James to get picked up after being cut by D.C. United, as the athletic but often error-prone player has been picked up by an injury ravaged Columbus Crew side that is looking to add healthy bodies, get more athletic, and get younger. Despite making the playoffs last year, the Crew went through a massive re-building in the offseason, getting rid of not only their old players, but some not so old role players. The Crew played with rookie defensive midfielder Rich Balchan as a central defender in last week’s CONCACAF Champions League match against Real Salt Lake, so great or not, James is a welcome addition.

James was a highly touted prospect coming out of the University of Connecticut, but has ultimately failed to live up to his potential thus far as he’s bounced around from team to team. James struggled to stick with Toronto FC and the Houston Dynamo before he appeared to find a long-term home with D.C. United. Despite showing some promise and being the least of the problems of an atrocious United side last year, James was cut loose. While he wasn’t horrible compared to his teammates, D.C. added Rodrigo Brasesco, Daniel Woolard, Chris Korb, Perry Kitchen, and Ethan White to the back line in the offseason, in addition to a mid-season trade last year for Jed Zayner. That made James expendable, but he should have every chance to secure some playing time for the Crew.