Eric Ebron hasn’t exactly been a quality tight end during his tenure with the Detroit Lions. If he is traded, here are some teams that could use him.
Let’s face facts, Detroit Lions fans: It might be time to move on from tight end Eric Ebron.
We’re almost halfway into Ebron’s fourth season, and all signs seems to be pointing to him regressing, he should just be hitting his prime. So far this season, Ebron has been averaging a career-low of 7.8 yards per catch, on a measly 17 yards per game and 2.1 catches per game, with only one touchdown to show for in the 2017 season.
Veteran tight end Darren Fells was signed this offseason to fill in the blocking tight end role that Ebron could never fill. He is already out-performing Ebron this season, posting three touchdowns on 10 catches for 101 yards.
With Fells’ performance this season and Ebron’s struggles, the need for the North Carolina alum is decreasing drastically for this Detroit squad. That means it’s time to finally move on from Ebron and trade before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Here are three potential that could not only use Ebron’s talents, but also have assets to give in return to help the Lions:
New England Patriots
The Patriots never been opposed to making trades with Detroit Lions General Manager Bob Quinn, who used to work for the Pats. Past deals made with the Patriots include trading linebacker Kyle Van Noy for a sixth round pick and trading cornerback Johnson Bademosi for another sixth round pick.
The Patriots could use Ebron as their second tight end in their offensive gameplan, as the New England offense as thrived the best when they can roll out two quality tight ends. And all-pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has proven to be fairly injury-prone, making Ebron a quality backup option should the pro bowler go down again.
Also, Ebron has shown some promise in the past, putting up more than 500 yards in 2015 and 2016, while also adding six touchdowns. With the potential, this could mean the Lions could get a better return for the tight end than they did for Van Noy and Bademosi, make the trade for him more enticing.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The following is a statement that I thought I would never write, but here it is: don’t look now, but the Jaguars could actually contend for a playoff spot this year. They have shown great potential all year long, especially with their elite defense, which currently leads the league in rushing yards allowed per game (169).
The Jaguars could use another offensive weapon, with quarterback Blake Bortles struggling this season and wide receiver Allen Robinson still recovering from his torn ACL. Ebron can provide the Jaguars with another pass catcher to help Bortles, and they have lots of defensive assets they could provide in return.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have been having a great year so far, largely due to the success of rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson. Good tight ends can always provide a good safety blanket for young rookies, and starting tight end Ryan Griffin has put up average stats for the club, only racking up 1 touchdown and less than 200 yards this season.
While the Texans don’t own their first and second round picks this year, they have shown that they are willing to be give up future assets for the right player, and Ebron might be said player. That, combined with the young defensive players that Detroit could earn in return (like linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Benardrick McKinney) could lead to a great trade with the Houston Texans.
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The Bottom Line is…
Eric Ebron’s time with the Detroit Lions has been disappointing to say the least, with too many drops to count. But maybe he can thrive in a change of scenery, and if the Lions can get a draft pick or a player in return to help with this up-and-down season, then trading Ebron will be completely worth it. And thanks to the quality play of Darren Fells, maybe we won’t even miss him when he’s gone.