Tag: James Mitchell

Revamped TE room and poor production could make Jason Cabinda the odd man out

Detroit’s revamped TE room and his poor production could make Lions FB Jason Cabinda the odd man out

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Jason Cabinda is entering his fifth season as the Detroit Lions’ fullback, but the team’s tight end group could make his role obsolete.

Cabinda, a linebacker-turned-fullback, has referred to himself as a “Superback” capable of playing running back, tight end, and receiver. While his positional versatility should make him valuable, his usage on offense has been on the decline over the years.

Cabinda only appeared in eight games in 2022 due to injuries, and did not see much action on the field during that time. He had one carry for four yards and one reception for a gain of five. The key issue here that could cause him to lose his roster spot is his drops. He dropped two passes during the game against the Giants.

So who on the roster could replace him?

Detroit has several tight ends who could play the role that Cabinda does on offense, and likely do a better job of it. 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.

That’s where depth players like James Mitchell and Derrick Deese can make their impact.

At Virginia Tech, Mitchell was used everywhere on the field, and took plenty of snaps in the backfield at the H-back position. He is a versatile tight end who can catch as well as he can block. He was also an efficient goal-line back, carrying the ball seven times for nine yards and five touchdowns.

Deese doesn’t have the rushing stats that Mitchell does, but he was used in a similar way at San Jose State and has taken reps in the fullback role during practices last summer. He is known primarily as a blocking tight end but has the hands to contribute as a receiver.

The main thing that Cabinda still has going for him is his ability and willingness to play special teams. His experience as a linebacker in college and the NFL is clear when he makes a tackle on kickoff and punt coverage, and his skills as a blocker have been crucial on kick and punt returns.

That being said, Mitchell and Deese have much more experience playing on offense and could save the team a roster spot if they decide to forego a true fullback. Instead, they could be active as the third or fourth tight end on game days and open up the playbook a little bit more.

 

Midsummer mailbag: On depth chart and camp battles, player expectations and more

Midsummer mailbag: On depth chart and camp battles, player expectations and more via the Detroit Lions Podcast

We’ve hit the midsummer holiday time. Be it the 4th of July or Canada Day, I hope you all are enjoying the slow time on the football calendar.

In conjunction with the Detroit Lions Podcast, we’ve got a mailbag full of questions from the podcast Patreon Slack channel. A couple of these inquisitions come from the end of minicamp week, but they’re still interesting questions and angles to explore.

Here are some of the choice selections from the midsummer mailbag.

Lions barely threw to TEs aligned in the slot in 2022

The Lions offense barely used the slot TE in 2022, but drafting Sam LaPorta opens up the potential for a lot more usage in 2023

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One of the focal points in the recent Lions OTAs and minicamp was how Detroit is using second-round tight end Sam LaPorta. Without giving up too much confidential information, we saw LaPorta getting ample work aligning in the slot.

That’s not something we saw a lot of from the Lions offense in 2022. Detroit had a tight end aligned in the slot just 22.8 percent of the time last season. Over half of those total slot snaps belonged to T.J. Hockenson in the team’s first seven games, too. Hockenson aligned in the slot just over 30 percent of the time in his seven games with Detroit in 2022.

Lions TE slot usage via The 33rd Team
Lions TE slot usage via The 33rd Team

Of course, Hockenson was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after Detroit’s Week 8 loss to Miami. With his departure came the effective end of any slot usage for the remaining tight ends. The tight end splits for the Lions post-Hockenson (Weeks 9-18) out of the slot:

Snaps Routes Targets Catches Yards
S. Zylstra 73 62 5 4 29
B. Wright 35 14 3 0 0
J. Mitchell 18 23 1 1 22

That’s using a slot TE on 16 percent of the total offensive snaps over that time period. Quarterback Jared Goff targeted them with under 3 percent of his pass attempts. Interestingly, seven of the nine targets here came in the red zone.

Adding LaPorta into the mix opens up the potential for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to more effectively, frequently and successfully use the flexed-out tight end as a matchup weapon. In his final season at Iowa, LaPorta played out of the slot on over 40 percent of his offensive snaps.

LaPorta’s presence gives the offense more punch in bunch formations or dual-slot alignments with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is one of the best slots in the league. It’s clearly a dimension to the offense that the Lions wanted to bring back after using it so sparingly in the second half of 2022.

All usage data is from SIS via The 33rd Team. 

2023 NFL Draft Film Review: Iowa TE Sam LaPorta can be an impact player

Breaking down the game film of TE Sam LaPorta, what he offers and how the Lions 2nd-rounder fits into the Detroit offense

When the second round of the 2023 NFL draft kicked off, nobody thought the Detroit Lions were going to select a tight end. Most fans felt like the Lions organization wouldn’t value running backs, tight ends, or linebackers high in the draft, but it’s clear that the Lions don’t have a particular type or different values. They’ve got their rankings of the players and they stick to them.

Anyone should be able to respect that — especially if it leads to positive results.

As the Lions went on the clock with the 34th overall pick, there were a plethora of tight ends available. That includes Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. If they were going to go that route, he felt like the pick. Tons of college production, good size, and just felt like a Dan Campbell type of player. However, they surprised us all when they selected Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta.

At first, I was really scratching my head and wondering why they didn’t go with Mayer. But then I got to thinking about some of the athletic testing numbers from LaPorta, and he really makes sense for what they’re trying to create on offense. That’s to have players that can create after-the-catch and have terrific change of direction ability.

LaPorta brings that to the table with his 4.59 speed in the 40-yard dash and 6.91 time in the 3-cone drill. Let’s jump into some tape to look at what the Lions are getting with the talented Iowa tight end.

Angle route with YAC ability

During the 2022 season, LaPorta saw an increase in production. Especially when you look at his ability to produce yards after-the-catch. Per PFF, LaPorta had 317 yards after-the-catch in 2022. His athletic ability for his size is impressive, and it should help him have an easy transition to the next level.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see Iowa in an empty formation with LaPorta aligned inside on a condensed set. As the ball is snapped, he begins to push vertically up the field but he starts to position himself as if he’s going to run a route that breaks out or up-and-out towards the sideline.

In the process, he watches the safety (Illinois DB 30) aggressively attack downhill and that’s when he breaks back inside on an angle route. With the middle of the field wide open, he’s able to run free and clear up the field for a huge gain. This is something that the Lions are missing from the position currently.

Change of direction ability

Having a tight end that can catch the football, stick his foot in the ground and turn on a dime is different. To be able to do it all the time is rare and there’s only a select few in the NFL that can do it on a consistent basis. When watching LaPorta, he does it all the time. Could the Lions have one of the next great tight ends to come in and dominate? Anything is possible.

Oddly enough in the clip above, you’ll see Sam LaPorta and Aidan Hutchinson make eye contact. Now they’re teammates. But with that, LaPorta just runs a quick out and he knows that the linebacker is going to be on his tail once he secures the pass. Quickly, he plants and fools the linebacker by turning back inside and running upfield. More often than not, a tight end is going to catch the ball and just get upfield for positive yardage. LaPorta is always looking to do more.

Overall Thoughts 

The selection of Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta makes a ton of sense for the Lions. There was a sneaky need for a tight end that can move around and produce. While the Lions had flashes from Shane Zylstra and Brock Wright last season, there was no real threat at the position. It does feel like the team might value James Mitchell but that remains to be seen.

With LaPorta, the Lions get a player that can do a variety of things. He can play in the slot, in-line or even out wide. During his career at Iowa, he had 513 snaps in-line and 304 snaps out of the slot (per PFF). It really wouldn’t be surprising if LaPorta walks into Detroit and earns the starting tight end spot. He has the talent to do it and by being the 34th overall pick, there is going to be some high expectations for him.

Fortunately, he change direction at ease, shake defenders and run after-the-catch on a consistent basis. There should be no concerns with the ability to produce in the NFL. In fact, I’d expect him to be more productive with Jared Goff at quarterback and with Ben Johnson calling the plays than he was at Iowa. While the Lions are a run first team, there’s definitely going to be times where he’s going to have to run block. He’ll need to become more consistent in that area with his body positioning and hand placement but he’s a willing blocker and can get aggressive.

When listening to Lions GM Brad Holmes talk to the media after the draft, it does feel like he intends for the Lions to use LaPorta early and often. He said, “…you go even to Sam LaPorta, a guy that I would say more along the terms of a gritty weapon. I do think that Sam would be able to make an early impact.”

Regardless of who was on the board during the 2023 NFL Draft, this was a pick that made a ton of sense for Detroit. LaPorta will certainly provide an immediate impact but there’s potential for him to be the most productive player from the Lions draft class.

 

Stop projecting first-round tight ends for the Lions in 2023

There seems to be a reflexive “replace Hockenson” mindset by the national media. Here’s why that couldn’t be more wrong for Detroit.

Sitting in the Hancock Whitney Stadium stands for a Senior Bowl practice last week, MLive Lions reporter Ben Raven, Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News and myself were approached by a well-known national media member about the Lions possibly selecting a tight end high in the 2023 NFL draft.

“I don’t think they’re taking one at all, to be honest,” Raven responded to a dumbfounded inquisitor. Bianchi and I quickly nodded our heads in agreement.

Herein lies one of the primary disconnects between those who closely follow the Detroit Lions and those who view the team from more distance.

Tight end is generally listed by national media as one of the Lions’ biggest needs. In fact, it’s the No. 1 or No. 2 offensive need listed for Detroit at CBS Sports, NFL.com, The Draft Network, Pro Football Focus and ESPN, all within the last month.

Never mind that the team doesn’t currently have a right guard, not with Evan Brown a free agent and Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Tommy Kraemer both coming off back surgeries that caused them to miss the entire 2022 season. Or that Jared Goff is literally the only quarterback on the entire roster, including reserve/future contracts. Or that running backs No. 1 (Jamaal Williams) and No. 3 (Justin Jackson) are free agents, as is wide receiver No. 2 (DJ Chark).

Nope. None of that matters because national pundits have to conclude that the Lions desperately need a new tight end to replace the one they traded away, Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson.

It seems nobody asks the question of why the Lions traded away Hockenson in the first place.

Hockenson is in Minnesota instead of Detroit for a couple of reasons. Foremost is that the Lions knew they were never going to pay the market rate to keep Hockenson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract and had already been making noise about a lucrative extension. Most projections for Hockenson’s next contract start in the $15 million-a-year range, and that’s simply not something the Lions were not going to consider.

It wasn’t discontent with Hockenson. Far from it. Hockenson had just posted one of the best games by a tight end in NFL history. This current Detroit offense, led by rising star OC Ben Johnson and head coach Dan Campbell, a longtime NFL tight end himself, simply doesn’t require a premium tight end to operate effectively.

Folks outside of Detroit might not know the names Brock Wright or James Mitchell. Inside Allen Park, those guys are viewed as great fits for exactly what this Lions team wants from its tight ends. They can chip-and-release, they can execute the run-blocking assignments, and they can motion or flex out depending on the set.

Wright caught four touchdown passes after Hockenson was traded. No. 3 tight end Shane Zylstra caught three in one game. Like Wright and Mitchell, he’s under contractual control through at least 2024.

The key player here is Mitchell. Detroit’s fifth-round pick in 2022, Mitchell started slowly as he recovered from a knee injury suffered near the end of his collegiate career at Virginia Tech. A well-built 6-foot-4 and 250-pound athlete, Mitchell proceeded to catch every single pass thrown his way in 2022 and improved as a blocker along the way.

The Lions love Mitchell. Love him, in a way that’s difficult to explain to someone on the outside who only sees 11 receptions for a fifth-round rookie they probably spent 10 minutes scouting over a year ago.

Back to the offense. After sputtering in the first week without Hockenson, a game the Lions also played without Chark or No. 3 WR Josh Reynolds and with top WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and explosive RB D’Andre Swift severely limited with injuries, the Jared Goff-led offense (no, I can’t call it the Goffense, sorry) soared without having a high-end tight end.

Instead of using Hockenson as one of the primary targets, Campbell and Johnson opened up the field more without their alpha tight end. It worked beautifully. Goff didn’t throw an interception the rest of the season and the Lions offense efficiently hummed along as one of the NFL’s best and most diverse. Wright, Mitchell and Zylstra provided enough firepower at TE on their own, notably in the red zone.

In short, the Lions didn’t miss Hockenson the player.

Should the Lions consider adding a tight end this offseason? Absolutely. Zylstra, for his red-zone heroics, is a low-end blocker and eminently replaceable. Depth is always welcomed. But it’s absolutely not a priority need for the Lions. Be very surprised if you see Detroit drafting a tight end before about the fifth round. I know I would be.

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Rookie TE James Mitchell had the most targets of any player who caught every pass thrown to him

Mitchell caught all 11 passes thrown his way in 2022

The Detroit Lions brought rookie tight end James Mitchell along slowly in 2022. The fifth-round pick from Virginia Tech missed the end of his final college season with a knee injury, and the recovery process sidelined Mitchell for nearly the entire offseason.

Mitchell did eventually work his way into the lineup, playing 20 percent of the offensive snaps over the final 14 games. While he wasn’t targeted often, Mitchell made the most of his opportunities in the passing game.

In fact, Mitchell wound up having the most targets of any NFL player in 2022 who caught every pass thrown his way. The big rookie caught all 11 passes that QB Jared Goff intended for him.

Mitchell had the most by a landslide. Next in line was Jaguars TE Luke Farrell with four.

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Goff proved quite effective at hitting his tight ends. Brock Wright caught 18 of his 24 targets, a 75 percent rate that was second-best on the Lions. Shane Zylstra caught 11 of 15 targets. The TE dealt away midseason, T.J. Hockenson, snagged 60 percent from Goff, catching 26 of his 43 targeted passes in seven games.

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Film room: Breaking down the Lions tight ends in the Week 9 win over the Packers

Lions Week 9 film room spotlight on TEs Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell in the 1st game after the T.J. Hockenson trade

This week’s Detroit Lions game film spotlight changes things up a bit. Instead of focusing on one individual player, the Week 9 edition looks at the entire tight end room and how it fared in the 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers.

This was the first game after the Lions traded away T.J. Hockenson. Detroit replaced Hockenson with a combination of Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell. The trio maximized their contributions on the stat sheet, combining for three receptions on four targets, eight yards but two touchdowns.

Jeff Okudah: Breaking down the Lions CB’s Week 1 performance vs. the Eagles

Malcolm Rodriguez: Breaking down the Lions rookie LB in Week 2

Film review: Breaking down Aidan Hutchinson’s performance vs. the Seahawks in Week 4

Film review: Breaking down Penei Sewell’s Week 5 game vs. the Patriots

Josh Paschal: Breaking down the Lions rookie DE in his Week 7 debut

Kerby Joseph: Breaking down the Lions rookie safety in Week 8

The methodology for the film evaluation here is pretty simple. Plays where the player wins his individual matchup or performs the role on the play correctly earn a plus; plays where he loses his matchup or does the wrong thing get a minus. Not every play earns a mark.

With three different players in this one, we’ll divide them up.

James Mitchell

The fifth-round rookie played the fewest snaps of the group, accounting for just 13 reps. He made the most of them, however.

Mitchell earned three plusses in the receiving game with no blemishes. His touchdown reception showed a great release and excellent spatial awareness, as well as confident hands. Other than needing to decelerate less into his comeback routes, Mitchell looked very impressive in pass patterns. He filled in very nicely in the bunch formation role where Hockenson was typically at his best. As a blocker, I had Mitchell for one clean win and one loss, splitting the plus/minus ratio.

Overall, that’s four plusses and one minus in an eventful 13 snaps for the big rookie. Based on his play, I’d expect to see more of Mitchell in the passing game over the rest of the season.

Brock Wright

Wright saw the lion’s share of the action. He was on the field for 50 of Detroit’s 62 offensive snaps.

He had two passing targets in the game and earned a plus on the first one even though he didn’t make the catch. Wright had a clear win against the coverage early, but he wasn’t Jared Goff’s primary read on the play. By the time Goff progressed to him, he was out of real estate in the corner of the end zone and Goff threw the ball away. If Goff gets to Wright earlier, he was open for a potential TD. His other target came on a screen pass that Green Bay’s defense read beautifully and broke up the pass.

Most of Wright’s work came as a run blocker, and he had a mixed bag of a day in that capacity. I found three plusses and four minuses in the run block game. One of the minuses came on a holding penalty that he absolutely earned. He spent a lot of reps as the backside blocker in the run game, which doesn’t leave much room for a consequential win or a loss.

As a receiver, Wright earned two plusses for winning on his routes and one minus for not running a clean break and being covered up on a play where Goff might’ve thrown his way. That puts Wright at five plusses and five minuses.

Shane Zylstra

The practice squad call-up played 16 snaps. His first one came in a fullback role on the opening drive and earned Zylstra one of his two blocking plusses of the game.

Zylstra played almost exclusively in-line at TE and did not once stay in as a blocker on passing plays, which was pretty commonplace with Hockenson’s usage this season in Detroit. As a run blocker, No. 84 had the win on his one FB snap and split a pair in run blocking.

As a receiver, this is a great plus to earn:

Three plusses, one minus on the game for Zylstra.

Overall it was a solid game for the Lions TEs. The final group tally was 12 plusses and seven minuses. This better matched the value of the TE role in Ben Johnson’s offense, especially given the context of Mitchell being a Day 3 rookie who missed all offseason with a knee injury and Wright and Zylstra as undrafted free agents in their second seasons.

Lions PFF Grades: Young core graded high in victory over Packers

The Detroit Lions relied on their young core to bring them home against the Green Bay Packers and PFF grades reflect the strong performances

Individuals are always looking for immediate success and instant gratification, so patience surrounding the Detroit Lions rebuild has come with some frustration and turmoil, considering how the last few weeks have gone. However, even though it was only one win, this one seemed different when the Lions defeated their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, to a tune of 15-9 with the help of one of their defensive performances in some time.

The most fulfilling part of the whole endeavor was seeing the young guns blooming right in front of our eyes. With how the team is built, the Lions have to rely on a slew of young players, and, at times, they make questionable mistakes, but with the right guidance and coaching, they perform admirably, and that was what was shown against the Packers. If they continue their trajectory, the sky is the limit for the Lions young core.

As such, this week’s PFF grades have many of their young players sitting right on top, assuring that what we saw was not just a mirage.

 

Studs and Duds: Lions youngsters at the forefront of Week 9 victory over Packers

The Detroit Lions brought home a victory over the Green Bay Packers, 15-9, on the backs of many of their young playmakers.

It might not have been the prettiest of games against these two bitter rivals, but the Detroit Lions managed to pull out a 15-9 victory against the Green Bay Packers for their second win of the season.

The past few weeks have been low for many people involved with the Lions, so to nail this victory is a major uplift in the aura surrounding the teams. The offense did just enough to keep the game in the Lions favor, whereas the defense is probably the main reason they walked away with a home win. They were able to pick off Aaron Rodgers three times, two of which were in the red zone, to stifle the drives while locking down the receivers and providing solid run defense throughout the contest.

With this game, a few players deserve recognition for their contributions, whereas some could’ve contributed a little more. So here are this week’s Studs and Duds.

Lions snap count notes from Week 8 show a few schematic changes

Lions snap count notes from Week 8 show a few schematic changes on both sides of the ball

Looking at the snap counts from a game can reveal some things about a team that aren’t always obvious during the live game action. That was true of the Detroit Lions in their Week 8 home loss to the Miami Dolphins.

A couple of examples right off the top stand out. It begins with running back, where D’Andre Swift returned from missing three weeks with shoulder and ankle injuries. Despite getting just five carries to Jamaal Williams’ 10, Swift was on the field for 33 reps to Williams playing 22. The popular notion that the Lions would keep Swift on a snap limit proved inaccurate.

The reps also tell a story at tight end. Specifically, the use of multiple tight ends. Brock Wright played 23 of the Lions’ 60 offensive snaps, with starter T.J. Hockenson on the field for 52. Rookie James Mitchell even saw the field for five reps, including his first NFL reception on the opening drive. Detroit used two TEs in the formation (12 personnel) a season-high 19 times, almost 30 percent of snaps. The Lions typically use 12 personnel just 16 percent of the time and that’s almost always in red zone and short-yardage situations.

On defense, the Lions covered for injuries in the secondary by rotating Will Harris and AJ Parker as the fifth DB. CB Amani Oruwariye and S Kerby Joseph were the only defenders to play all 68 snaps, with CB Jeff Okudah and S Juju Hughes on the field for all but one apiece. Harris played 39, Parker 23 and C.J. Moore filled in for just two. Detroit played three LBs in this game more than they had all season, 10 of the 68 snaps (14 percent).

CB Jerry Jacobs did not play on defense as the Lions continues to ease the second-year DB back from his knee injury. LB Chris Board played four snaps, all as the third LB in the formation.

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