3 Lions on Thin Ice With John Morton as Offensive Coordinator

Brock Wright

Detroit is good with Sam LaPorta in the starting position, but they could use some depth considering how Morton likes to run his offense. While Morton likes to throw downfield, he also is a big proponent of play-action which puts emphasis on the tight ends to block both against the pass and against the run.

Brock Wright served as the backup tight end last season and thrived in pass protection early. The 26-year-old posted a 67.7 pass-blocking grade and allowed two pressures on just 17 pass-blocking snaps in the first 10 weeks. But when the Lions had to throw more from Weeks 11-18, Wright struggled with a 45.2 pass-blocking grade and five pressures on 30 pass-blocking snaps.

The Lions are a team that prefers to spread their opponents out and put speed on the field and it’s unlikely they’ll start running two tight-end packages under Morton. Even then, Dan Skipper handled most of the extra road-grater duties anyway, which puts even less pressure on whoever is LaPorta’s backup.

Still, Wright needs to have some value to remain on the roster. With just 56 receptions for 524 yards and nine touchdowns over his four-year career, his pass blocking will be the best way to do it and it will need to improve in order to win over Morton.