Detroit Lions: Can Michael Roberts be a No.1 option at tight end?

Since Eric Ebron’s departure, the cupboards have been barren at tight end for the Detroit Lions this year. But Michael Roberts may be able to step up.

The Detroit Lions were thankfully able to get back on track on Sunday, as they earned a solid victory over the four-win Miami Dolphins 32-21. With the win, Detroit is able to get back to a .500 record. Although the Lions passing attack has been rather formidable, the lack of a good pass-catching tight end has been holding the offense back from reaching its full potential.

As surprising as the following fact is to hear, the Lions may actually miss the presence of Eric Ebron, who is currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts and has already racked up 326 yards and six touchdowns in the 2018 season.

But thankfully for the Detroit offense, they might have found that tight end in Toledo alumni Michael Roberts. Catching his first career touchdown in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers, Roberts has been sidelined since that game with an apparent knee injury that was sustained in September.

But in his return to the field this week for the Lions, Roberts did not look to be tending to an injury at all, leading the Lions with 48 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

While ESPN’s Michael Rothstein has raved about the quality of Detroit’s receiving corps, there really hasn’t been much production from the tight end position this season for the Lions. In fact, Roberts’ performance yesterday was arguably the best from any Detroit tight end this season.

Although Roberts showed flashes of potential in today’s game, he hasn’t had a good track record here in Detroit. In the 17 games he’s played in since yesterday’s game, he has only caught five passes for 61 yards in the NFL.

For all of last season, Roberts really didn’t get any opportunities to shine. WIth Eric Ebron and Darren Fells ahead of him on the depth chart, Roberts was mostly just used as a blocking tight end in traditional run sets.

But that seemingly steep depth chart is rather empty this season, as Roberts and Luke Willson remain as the only real pass-catching options at tight end for the Lions since Hakeem Valles was cut earlier this month.

Now is as good a time as any for Roberts and show the potential that he so highly touted for before he got drafted. I wrote about his potential breakout 2018 earlier this year, and I still believe in the guy to perform in the red zone.

Lions fans from past years that Stafford loves looking for big bodies in the red zone, whether it be former Lions Calvin Johnson and Joseph Fauria, or current rising receivers in Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay.

If Michael Roberts can continue to develop and remain effective like he was on Sunday, he unlocks a new realm to this potentially elite offense, which can be part of the formula to get this team back in the playoff hunt in the NFC.