The best idea for the Detroit Lions future at fullback

The Detroit Lions have a tremendous offense right now. They were one of the best in 2023 and are expected to repeat that in 2024. They do have little bit of a hole in one area though and that's fullback. I know it's not the biggest hole, but it's a hole. 

The Lions have carried a fullback for years now and there's been multiple occasions where Ben Johnson has attempted to use that fullback in both the run game and pass game. As things stand right now, the Lions don't have a fullback on the roster. What is the future of this position right now? Here's some options:

Bring back Jason Cabinda 

Cabinda is still free agent at this time and the Lions have not brought him back yet. We asked Cabinda about a possible return to Detroit last week and he simply said "we shall see." 

Cabinda had a hard year in 2023. He spent most of the season on the shelf with an injury and then when he was healthy, he had some drops on plays where the Lions passed to him. 

The former linebacker turned fullback has been the team's fullback since 2020. Do they want to keep it going with him or try something new?

Malcolm Rodriguez

This seems like the most likely option right now if the Lions employ one. Rodriguez' days as a linebacker could be numbered. He might be a fullback and special teams ace in the NFL. 

Here's the thing, he had a solid rookie year at linebacker. Right now the Lions don't need him to do that anymore. He's buried on the depth chart below Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. He could still play there in relief, but his best shot for the most playing time is at fullback and on special teams. 

Last year the Lions tried the fullback thing with him and it really worked. He actually played pretty well at it. He has the athleticism to make more out of it when given the chance. We saw him work in the pass game last year and he can block. 

Not have one

Fullback isn't really a necessary position. There's a lot of teams that just don't have one. Only 11 teams utilized a fullback during the 2023 season. The Lions were one of them. It wasn't something that was crucial to their success on offense. It's helpful at times, but the Lions don't need it to function. 

The reality is that the Lions could just have one sometimes when they're feeling the need for it. That's probably the best option for this team. They can still utilize Rodriguez in that role. 

He allows the team to have a fullback when they want to and it helps the Lions not have to be picky at running back so that they can make sure they carry a fullback into the season. Last year the Lions carried three running backs into the season and one of them was Cabinda.