Detroit Lions: The curious case of Eric Ebron
Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron added another two drops to his stat line on Sunday raising questions about his future with the team.
After the Detroit Lions loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press has echoed what many, many fans have been saying: it’s time to cut ties with Lions tight end Eric Ebron.
"“We’ve seen enough,” wrote Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “Martin Mayhew over-drafted Ebron by making him the 10th overall pick in 2014 and now it’s time for the Detroit Lions to part ways with their talented but inconsistent and unreliable tight end.”"
Was Ebron drafted too early? Probably. We know Lions former general manager Martin Mayhew followed the best player available strategy when came to the draft. But has Ebron proven to be the best player available that is worth the high pick and money on his contract? Simply put, no.
All of this adds up to an easy target for fans to boo as the expectations of a top 10 pick are high. Especially when the team passed on players like Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald and Brandin Cooks. Even Kelvin Benjamin, the Panthers wide receiver who caught a first down pass to seal the game against the Lions on Sunday, was still available.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Nevertheless, the Lions have the underperforming tight end on their roster. If there’s a player opposing defenses are forced to give one-on-one coverage in a game plan, they are going to start looking Ebron’s way. Either he starts making the catches when he gets the chance or it’s time for the Lions to move on.
If the Lions are open to making the trade, they need to find a partner. Similar to the trade for offensive tackle Greg Robinson, there needs to be a team out there with a sizeable need for Ebron. With the drops he’s made, including one that hit him in the chest in the end zone on Sunday, his value isn’t very high. Which is why a trade might never happen.
Ebron wasn’t a Bob Quinn pick and Quinn has proved he’s not afraid to move on from players that aren’t performing, even if he picked them. Aside from Ebron’s play dropping off to the point of getting benched, he’ll finish the season on the roster. That gives a window from the end of the season until the beginning of the 2018 league year for the team to cut him and keep from paying his roughly $8 million salary.
The remaining question is: will the Lions miss Ebron if he’s gone? Tight end Darren Fells hauled in two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the team tried to come back. But he’s not exactly the same threat to stretch the middle of the field in the same way as Ebron. Tight end Michael Roberts is struggling with fumbles but offers plenty of upside.
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The Lions are deep at the tight end position right now and roster depth is something many winning franchises possess. If Ebron doesn’t start making catches, it might soon be an area where the Lions are looking for additional help.