Fullbacks have a long history with the Detroit Lions. Cory Schlesinger was one of the franchise’s most well-liked players for a long time. Short but memorable stays with Detroit were enjoyed by players like Nick Bellore, Nick Bawden, Jed Collins, and Jerome Felton.
Jason Cabinda, a converted linebacker who has been with the team since 2019, is the most recent player to wear the coveted fullback uniform. Over the previous four seasons, Cabinda has played fullback.
Is it time to move on, though, with Cabinda’s contract expiring and his position as a fullback in this attack diminishing? In this chapter of our free agent profile series, let’s take a look.
Due to an injury, Cabinda missed the majority of the 2022 season. Although he was expected to start 2023 as the starting fullback, many naturally questioned whether his services were still required.
We wondered if this team still had a place for Cabinda in an almost identical headline in last year’s roster evaluation.
In the end, I thought Cabinda would make the club because of his significant role on special teams and his unique skill set, but he acknowledged that his cap number (more than $2.5 million) made him a possible cut.
As expected, Cabinda made the first 53-man roster, but he was injured practically right away. Cabinda was placed on injured reserve due to a nagging knee ailment after seeing limited action in three games while seeing a lot of action on special teams.
The fullback would participate in all three postseason games and make a comeback for the team’s final regular season game.
But during that time, Detroit made a crucial roster move involving Cabinda. They waived Cabinda as soon as they activated him off injured reserve, and once waivers were cleared, they stash him on the practice squad.
In order to activate C.J. Gardner-Johnson and James Houston, the Lions desperately needed 53-man roster spaces, and they decided that Cabinda was worth putting on waivers in order to obtain them.
Cabinda was elevated for all three postseason games on game-day, albeit primarily as a member of the special team. However, he saw a lot of action on special teams, as Detroit obviously appreciates his contributions there.
Nevertheless, it’s difficult to overlook how little offensive action Cabinda has played in recent years. The following charts show his average offensive snaps per game, broken down by year:
Cabinda’s contract expired right away at the end of the season, which was a major factor in Detroit’s decision to keep him on the practice squad.
He could have signed a futures contract with the Lions, which is usually a veteran-minimum sort of agreement, but they chose not to. Right now, Cabinda is free to sign with any organization he desires.
Cabinda is a four-phase player, and the Lions place a high importance on special teams. Many others in the building really admire his leadership style and attitude.
He also contributes frequently to Detroit’s charitable activities and is a wonderful member of the community.
Cabinda can contribute on special teams and is a high-character player, which is valued by the Detroit Lions. He’ll probably resign for a reasonable price as well.
Cabinda has had to battle with severe injuries for the previous two years. He missed the most of 2022 due to a botched surgery, and he missed the most of 2023 due to a knee cartilage problem.
Additionally, as previously mentioned, the Lions don’t really need fullbacks. Indeed, Malcolm Rodriguez could be able to move from linebacker to fullback, just like Cabinda did.
A couple times in 2023, the second-year linebacker filled in at fullback and didn’t seem too out of place.Rodriguez has even made 20 offensive snaps this year, including an outstanding 6-yard reception.
For the next two seasons, Rodriguez will play on a cost-controlled rookie contract and contribute the same skills on special teams.
The Lions could choose to focus on fullback practice for the entire season, even though Rodriguez is still a valuable backup linebacker.
