Jason Cabinda is nearly two seasons removed from his playing days with the Detroit Lions, who opted not to bring him back following the 2023 season. But that hasn’t stopped the former fullback from singing their praises.
In a recent appearance on the Detroit-based [Crunch Time Sports](https://www.youtube.com/live/t1o3fP92duY?si=Epn9Ng4kdoSmCco9) podcast, Cabinda shared his thoughts on the current Lions regime led by general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, and how they’ve shaped the franchise’s culture.
“I think one of the biggest things I commend Brad Holmes and Dan — really both of them — is that they would never sacrifice the culture of the locker room, the attitude of the team, and who we were going to be for any level of talent,” Cabinda said. “Absolutely every single guy that came into the building, whether it was through the draft, free agency, mid-season trade, or whatever it was, they were a fit for the locker room first.
“They never sacrificed that vision because sometimes coaches talk like this, and then they make certain moves that contradict the philosophy and who we’re trying to be. Brad and Dan never did that, which makes them not only trustworthy and believable, but it also makes you want to play that much harder for them.”
Cabinda, who was with the team under both the current leadership and the previous regime led by former general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, contrasted Holmes’ widely praised draft strategy with past shortcomings. Holmes’ selections over the past five drafts have played key roles in the Lions’ historic turnaround.
“When you look at the draft, you see Penei (Sewell), Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Alim McNeill — I could go down the list — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and on and on. How about finding top talent regardless of the space, regardless of what round they were picked in?” Cabinda said. “These are quality, solid players who filled needs, stepped up, and are now leaders of this team while they’re still young. I think that’s really impressive, and they’ve shown that year in and year out.”
Still, Holmes and the popular “Let Brad Cook” mantra — used by diehard fans to defend the general manager — came under fire this year when the Lions waited until the sixth round to address their need at EDGE rusher, selecting Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein.
Instead, Holmes and his staff used the first two picks to bolster the trenches, selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round and Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge in the second.
Cabinda praised Holmes for sticking to his principles and addressing the team’s true needs rather than following a “cookie-cutter” draft formula.
“Yes, he builds in the trenches, he likes quarterbacks who are mostly pocket guys — maybe they can run a little but can make all the throws. That’s kind of been his deal,” Cabinda said. “He values good, fast defenses. But regardless of where they were picked — and especially in this draft — they filled what they needed. They got a couple of special teams guys who are going to be really good.
“We went and got a really great guard in Tate Ratledge — I absolutely love that pick. I love the Giovanni Manu pick (from last year). I think he fits that culture, he fits who they’re trying to be from a mindset standpoint. If you go watch that kid’s tape from Boise State, this kid plays the game with his hair on fire — he just started playing. They know they’re going to be able to bring that edge and get that fire out of him because it’s all still new.
“So I actually really liked their draft this year, and I feel like if you really analyze the team and where they’re at, position by position, each pick really makes sense. And that’s what I love about Brad.”