“The decision might not come down to skill as much as the Lions’ preference to have a more versatile option in Wright or a more specialized, higher-end receiving option in Zylstra,” he wrote. “Or they could keep them both and cut back at another position, be it a fifth LB or phasing out Jason Cabinda’s FB role.”

While Risdon wrote that he doesn’t expect the “Cabinda contingency to happen,” he noted that the Lions would likely consider it. Fullback has become something of a dying position in the NFL, with the greater emphasis on the passing game phasing most of them out and a majority of teams no longer carrying one on their roster.

Others Predict Roster Challenge for Lions Fullback

Risdon is not alone in foreseeing a roster battle for Cabinda. Lions Wire’s Max Gerber implied also wrote that the fullback could be “the odd man out” in Detroit as the team has the option to use tight ends as primary blockers.

“Detroit has several tight ends who could play the role that Cabinda does on offense, and likely do a better job of it,” Gerber wrote. “Given the nature of the position, the player would need to be an efficient blocker in the run and pass games while also being able to run routes and carry the ball.

Cabinda brought added value in the past by playing on special teams units, but his usage in this phase dropped off last season. After lining up for 68% of the team’s special teams snaps in 2021, Cabinda saw his snaps drop to 43% last year.

But Cabinda could see a potential boost thanks to some other big upgrades to the running game. The team used a first-round pick on Alabama back Jahmyr Gibbs and landed veteran David Montgomery in free agency, and Cabinda could play an important role in creating blocking lanes as a fullback.