THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
James Mitchell (Union) and Ryan Cowden (Lebanon) have new homes in the National Football League.
Mitchell signed a reserve/ futures contract with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, while Cowden is now working in the front office of the New England Patriots.
A tight end, Mitchell spent the previous three seasons with the Detroit Lions after being selected by the team in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech.
He has 13 catches for 141 yards with one touchdown in 30 regular-season games over the course of his career. He appeared in one game this season for the Lions – a win over Jacksonville in November – but spent the rest of 2024 on the practice squad.
Carolina has six tight ends on its current roster.
The Panthers also inked outside linebacker Carlos “Boogie” Basham from Roanoke, Virginia, to a reserve/futures contract. He’s played four seasons in the NFL featuring stints with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.
Basham attended Northside High School and his last game for the Vikings was a 2015 VHSL playoff loss to Abingdon.
A reserve/futures contract means a team holds the contractual rights of that player until training camp starts and then the individual will be placed on the 90-man roster.
Meanwhile, Cowden is now in the front office of the New England Patriots where he is reunited with Mike Vrabel. He is expected to serve as vice president of player personnel.
The two worked together with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2022 and Vrabel was hired earlier this month as the new coach of the Patriots.
Cowden was the interim general manager for the Titans for several months in 2022. He’s also worked in front-office roles with the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants.