TE Eric Ebron, PIT (2 Viewers)

[The Captain]

Rotoworld:

Lions GM Martin Mayhew said he expects a second-year leap from Eric Ebron.

Ebron was limited to 25 catches as a rookie, playing the majority of the season behind in-line blocker Brandon Pettigrew. He'll be a prime candidate for an expanded role entering his second year under OC Joe Lombardi. Ebron has TE1 upside in the Lions' high-volume passing attack. Still just 21, he remains a buy-low target in Dynasty leagues.

Source: detroitlions.com

Feb 4 - 6:14 PM

How different would things be right now if they had drafted Donald and picked up a servicable TE like Owen Daniels. They wouldn't have to throw the bank at Suh, wouldn't have missed Fairley as much and still would have gotten more production at TE last year. I know it's time to move on from last season but Mayhew blew this one and the ramifications of this pick will likely be felt for years.

because he didnt put up gronk/graham #s in his rookie year?

Has nothing to do with Gronk/Graham numbers. Ebron was terrible value at 1.10. Neither Gronk nor Graham were drafted in the first round, let alone at 1.10. A TE with "upside" who is also known to drop a lot of balls is a luxury pick for a team with few needs. That is not the Lions.

A GM with any sense knows that TEs don't produce as rookies, yet Mayhew hires Caldwell with a win now mandate, and then drafts a position that won't help now.

Ebron is more Pettigrew than he is Gronk or Graham. Should have learned from drafting Pettigrew so high. 2 first round TEs is poor roster management.

 

[georg013]

Rotoworld:

Lions GM Martin Mayhew said he expects a second-year leap from Eric Ebron.

Ebron was limited to 25 catches as a rookie, playing the majority of the season behind in-line blocker Brandon Pettigrew. He'll be a prime candidate for an expanded role entering his second year under OC Joe Lombardi. Ebron has TE1 upside in the Lions' high-volume passing attack. Still just 21, he remains a buy-low target in Dynasty leagues.

Source: detroitlions.com

Feb 4 - 6:14 PM

How different would things be right now if they had drafted Donald and picked up a servicable TE like Owen Daniels. They wouldn't have to throw the bank at Suh, wouldn't have missed Fairley as much and still would have gotten more production at TE last year.I know it's time to move on from last season but Mayhew blew this one and the ramifications of this pick will likely be felt for years.

because he didnt put up gronk/graham #s in his rookie year?

Has nothing to do with Gronk/Graham numbers. Ebron was terrible value at 1.10. Neither Gronk nor Graham were drafted in the first round, let alone at 1.10. A TE with "upside" who is also known to drop a lot of balls is a luxury pick for a team with few needs. That is not the Lions.

A GM with any sense knows that TEs don't produce as rookies, yet Mayhew hires Caldwell with a win now mandate, and then drafts a position that won't help now.

Ebron is more Pettigrew than he is Gronk or Graham. Should have learned from drafting Pettigrew so high. 2 first round TEs is poor roster management.

Until Ebron outperforms Pettigrew and actually becomes a beast in that offense. Detroit didn't lose in the playoffs because Ebron was a first year player. Caldwell's conservative play calling at the end of games is what did them in. Detroit will be fine once they fully absorb the new offense. Year two should pay dividends. Scoop up your Lions skill players now.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

The Lions' website foresees a "much bigger impact" from Eric Ebron in 2015 than he made as a rookie.

As many rookie tight ends do, Ebron had an up-and-down first season, finishing with a 25-248-1 receiving line. Not yet 22 years old, Ebron did earn a more consistent role as the season wore on and is a candidate for a sophomore leap. For now, we'd project Ebron as a mid-range TE2 with upside for quite a bit more.

Source: detroitlions.com
Mar 17 - 9:49 AM

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Eric Ebron - TE - Lions

Coach Jim Caldwell is anticipating a "pretty significant rise" in Eric Ebron's performance.

Ebron struggled with drops and the scheme as a rookie, disappointing with a 25-248-1 line. It's not uncommon for first-year tight ends. Ebron has more than enough talent to break out in Year 2. "I'm going to tell you something. His offseason to this point has been pretty impressive," Caldwell said.

Source: detroitlions.com

Mar 26 - 10:08 AM

 

[Faust]

Lions anticipate 'significant rise' in Eric Ebron's play

 

[matttyl]

What's to be expected from him this year? With Stafford throwing the ball, there are plenty of targets to go around. Reggie Bush had 56 of them and missed 5 games. I think Ebron becomes the #3 target this year (he wasn't far from that last year as a rookie).

Is approaching top 15 TE range out of the question in his 2nd year?

 

[Faust]

Jim Caldwell still believes in tight end Eric Ebron

 

[fredsavage]

He's a first round talent as a receiver in a high volume passing offense with a declining stud in front of him and a youn qb. Dynasty hold, outside of graham gronkowski not too many TEs I think clearly have more upside

 

[ILUVBEER99]

He's a first round talent as a receiver in a high volume passing offense with a declining stud in front of him and a youn qb. Dynasty hold, outside of graham gronkowski not too many TEs I think clearly have more upside

feel the same way. he was a 20 year old raw player as a rookie, confused why people expected much out of him his rookie year. He's got all the talent in the world and i have him firmly planted as the #3 dynasty TE in a tier of his own.

 

[beef]

He's a first round talent as a receiver in a high volume passing offense with a declining stud in front of him and a youn qb. Dynasty hold, outside of graham gronkowski not too many TEs I think clearly have more upside

feel the same way. he was a 20 year old raw player as a rookie, confused why people expected much out of him his rookie year. He's got all the talent in the world and i have him firmly planted as the #3 dynasty TE in a tier of his own.

I'm with you guys. He has the skills to be dominate. Its funny how people turn so quick on young rookies. Traded 2.04 for him about a month ago. About the same time last year I traded a late 2nd for kelce. I love these 'what have you done for me lately' owners.

 

[TwinTurbo]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Lions OC Joe Lombardi said he's counting on second-year TE Eric Ebron being the No. 3 weapon on offense behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.
This is nothing new, but Lombardi is just the latest in a long line of Lions higher-ups to sing Ebron's praises this offseason. Since the season ended, Ebron has been making routine flights to Atlanta to work side-by-side with Matthew Stafford. Everyone involved is expecting a big jump from Ebron.

Source: Dave Birkett on Twitter
Mar 31 - 8:13 PM

 

[cstu]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

And, he dropped a lot of passes. No, really: Tony Gonzalez -- who should have a bust of his HANDS in Canton as well as a bust of his head -- actually dropped a lot of passes. Gonzalez counted 13 drops. Later, he adjusted it to 17 drops. Whatever the number, it was noticeable. At one point, after dropping another pass at Arrowhead, he heard a smattering of boos. They felt like fireballs.

 

[gianmarco]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

He doesn't have bad hands. In fact, his scouting profile talks about how good his hands are and how he catches away from his body but that he has CONCENTRATION drops. Completely different story.

 

[The Captain]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

He doesn't have bad hands. In fact, his scouting profile talks about how good his hands are and how he catches away from his body but that he has CONCENTRATION drops. Completely different story.

Adderall will fix that

 

[Shutout]

I would like to see a lot of positive hype generated on him so that I can sell high.

I drafted him too high and have buyer's remorse.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Lions TE Eric Ebron traveled to Atlanta this offseason to work on his routes with Matthew Stafford.
Ebron was targeted just 46 times last season. The Lions are counting on a bigger role for him now that he's more acclimated. Ebron projects as the No. 3 option behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Limited to a 25/248/1 line as a rookie, Ebron is a second-year leap candidate.

Source: Detroit Free Press
Apr 4 - 3:37 PM

 

[Faust]

Lions Sunday Mailbag: How many targets for Eric Ebron?

 

[TwinTurbo]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

He doesn't have bad hands. In fact, his scouting profile talks about how good his hands are and how he catches away from his body but that he has CONCENTRATION drops. Completely different story.

He had the highest drop percentage by far of any TE coming into the 2014 draft. He then went on to have several bad drops his rookie year in practice and in games. He has bad hands. Maybe he will improve.

 

[cstu]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

He doesn't have bad hands. In fact, his scouting profile talks about how good his hands are and how he catches away from his body but that he has CONCENTRATION drops. Completely different story.

He had the highest drop percentage by far of any TE coming into the 2014 draft. He then went on to have several bad drops his rookie year in practice and in games. He has bad hands. Maybe he will improve.

It's true that he had a problem with drops in college and as a rookie. It's also true that he just turned 22 this month.

 

[Sabertooth]

I know he's got zero fantasy value right now. Can't give him away. That alone is reason enough not to draft a TE in your dynasty drafts.

 

[cstu]

"Let me tell you something," Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said at the recent NFL owners' meetings, per Birkett. "His offseason, to this point, has been pretty impressive. Now, I'm anticipating, just because I know kind of what he's been doing, working at it, I'm anticipating to see a pretty significant rise in his performance."

 

[georg013]

Sign me up as the one of the guys who drafted this kid WAY too early. I was desperate for a TE and fell for the hype. Took him one slot BEFORE Odell Beckham Jr. (1.4) but I also had the 1.01 and 1.06. With that being said, no way I move him for anything less than what I paid. I still have faith in him. I just learned that it takes time to know whether a TE has it. That's all. Can't wait to see if Ebron has IT. If I had it to do all over again, no way I take a TE early. I don't care when he is drafted. Unless of course he goes to the Saints!! Lol. But no, I'd stay away until later in the round.

 

[TwinTurbo]

The main flaw with Ebron is that he's a move TE with bad hands. He has all world talent potential but is terrible at actually catching the football. He is not Gronk, Graham or even Vernon Davis and probably never will be. He is much more Jared Cook and Brandon Pettigrew.

He doesn't have bad hands. In fact, his scouting profile talks about how good his hands are and how he catches away from his body but that he has CONCENTRATION drops. Completely different story.

He had the highest drop percentage by far of any TE coming into the 2014 draft. He then went on to have several bad drops his rookie year in practice and in games. He has bad hands. Maybe he will improve.

It's true that he had a problem with drops in college and as a rookie. It's also true that he just turned 22 this month.

If you can't catch by the time you turn 22, it's probably not going to happen. I am a Lions fan so I hope he improves, but I don't understand how fundamental flaws like this get completely overlooked by talent evaluators that get paid for a living. They already had Brandon Pettigrew on the roster, another TE that is horrible at catching a football.

 

[cstu]

If you can't catch by the time you turn 22, it's probably not going to happen. I am a Lions fan so I hope he improves, but I don't understand how fundamental flaws like this get completely overlooked by talent evaluators that get paid for a living. They already had Brandon Pettigrew on the roster, another TE that is horrible at catching a football.

https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?/topic/705108-eric-ebron-thread/?p=17912395

Gonzalez also had drops and only 35 catches and zero TD's through 11 games his second year.

Patience, grasshopper.

 

[Faust]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

50-500-5 sounds attainable.

 

[matttyl]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

50-500-5 sounds attainable.

Great, I spent a first round rookie pick on a guy who in his 3rd year will be a mid range #2 TE.

 

[mikmak8902]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

50-500-5 sounds attainable.

Great, I spent a first round rookie pick on a guy who in his 3rd year will be a mid range #2 TE.

2nd year ... he was a rookie last year. I think he will progress this season from opportunity alone. If he develops, he could be a solid starting TE.

 

[matttyl]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

50-500-5 sounds attainable.

Great, I spent a first round rookie pick on a guy who in his 3rd year will be a mid range #2 TE.

2nd year ... he was a rookie last year. I think he will progress this season from opportunity alone. If he develops, he could be a solid starting TE.

Yeah, I got that. What I'm saying is that after a 2nd year of "50-500-5" type numbers, he'll be a mid range #2 TE.

 

[georg013]

Analysis: Projecting Eric Ebron's 2015 production as third option in Detroit Lions' passing game

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/analysis_projecting_eric_ebron.html

50-500-5 sounds attainable.

Great, I spent a first round rookie pick on a guy who in his 3rd year will be a mid range #2 TE.

2nd year ... he was a rookie last year. I think he will progress this season from opportunity alone. If he develops, he could be a solid starting TE.

Yeah, I got that. What I'm saying is that after a 2nd year of "50-500-5" type numbers, he'll be a mid range #2 TE.

It's not like that is written in stone. It's just a prediction. I predict he will perfom better than that. Lol.

 

[Faust]

Re-drafting the 2014 tight end class

Excerpt:

Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions

Much has been said of Ebron's scattershot campaign after the Lions made him the No. 10 overall pick last May.

His 6-foot-4 frame and 4.60 speed propelled NFL Media's Mike Mayock to call Ebron a "better athlete with better hands" than San Francisco's Vernon Davis, but Ebron struggled with the playbook and totaled just 25 catches all year -- never topping 38 yards in a game.

I watched the tape to find out why, coming away with one initial criticism: With Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate regularly swallowing up top cover men, Ebron was often an afterthought. "LEFT ALONE IN COVERAGE," was prominent in my notes. Ebron could have done more with those opportunities.

Still, his 549 snaps go beyond mere statistics. When he wasn't bogged down mentally in Joe Lombardi's complex scheme, Ebron displayed better physical gifts than any of his rookie peers at the position.

Detroit lined him up tight, in the slot and out wide. Plenty of his catches came off short-range patterns that first asked Ebron to sell the block. In his better moments, he took the ball for extra yardage, effectively hunting down the sticks. He also made a handful of grabs up the seam and showed flashes of dominance in open space, twice hurdling smaller defenders for more real estate.

That said, Ebron's 13.79 drop rate was sixth among all tight ends, per Pro Football Focus. Matthew Stafford was a factor, though, with 15 of Ebron's 47 targets deemed uncatchable. Better ball control from Detroit's quarterback would help.

Final analysis: Ebron's longest grab of the year was 22 yards. Seferian-Jenkins, Richard Rodgers and Crockett Gillmore all topped his 9.9 yards per catch, which had plenty to do with Ebron seeing an imbalance of work in the flats. But can he work a secondary deep? He won a nice battle downfield against New England's Devin McCourty in Week 12, but the Lions need more of this.

I'm not giving up on Ebron and neither are the Lions, with coach Jim Caldwell saying: "I'm anticipating a pretty significant rise in his performance." We aren't predicting Jimmy Graham 2.0, but another full offseason in Lombardi's system is a major factor. A comfortable Ebron -- leaning more on his natural talents -- is the top candidate on this list to make a jump in Year 2.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett observes that drops are "still an issue" for Eric Ebron at OTAs.

Take nuggets from offseason workouts with a grain of salt, but this one is noteworthy nonetheless. Ebron only caught 54.3 percent of his targets as a rookie and dropped four of the 29 "catchable" balls that came his way. His 13.79 percent drop rate was sixth-highest among tight ends who played 25 percent of their team's snaps. Ebron's hands were a big question mark coming out of UNC.

Source: Dave Birkett on Twitter
Jun 1 - 10:11 PM

 

[mlball77]

Rotoworld:

The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett observes that drops are "still an issue" for Eric Ebron at OTAs.

Take nuggets from offseason workouts with a grain of salt, but this one is noteworthy nonetheless. Ebron only caught 54.3 percent of his targets as a rookie and dropped four of the 29 "catchable" balls that came his way. His 13.79 percent drop rate was sixth-highest among tight ends who played 25 percent of their team's snaps. Ebron's hands were a big question mark coming out of UNC.

Source: Dave Birkett on Twitter

Jun 1 - 10:11 PM

Ugh.

 

[scothawk]

I don't want any part of owning him.

Right now his upside is mid TE2 whilst his downside is epic fail.

 

[matttyl]

I used a first round pick on this guy last year. Then I picked up Kelce off the wire after week 1. No more paying huge for rookie TEs for me.

 

[Faust]

Ebron on bust label: Opinions don't mean anything

 

[georg013]

Kent Lee Platte ‏@MathBomb Jun 24
Eric Ebron's 8.5% drop rate as a rookie was lower than Jimmy Grahams as a rookie (9.1%), Vernon Davis (11.9%), Julius Thomas (14.3%) #Doomed

17 retweets14 favoritesReply
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Favorite14

 

[georg013]

Oldie but goodie:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2411387-how-eric-ebron-can-become-the-next-big-thing-at-te-in-2015

 

[georg013]

http://sidelionreport.com/2015/07/27/case-eric-ebron-part-2-film-review/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Leroy Hoard]

At an ADP of 181 (TE22) he might just have some value.

 

[Kal El]

With Megatron and Tate grabbing lots of attention, and an offensive line that is already better now that Raiola is history, Ebron should improve this season. Rookie numbers are often skewed one way or another anyway.

 

[georg013]

Decent start to training camp for last year's "bust". Get him now while everyone is still locked into groupthink and piling on.

 

[Dez]

Every time I see the name Ebron it makes me want to punch a kitten after drafting Ebron over Beckham in my rookie draft last year.

 

[JetMaxx]

Choosing to punish a kitten for being an idiot is Dez-like.

 

[Faust]

Lions GM on Eric Ebron: He knows what's at stake

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000506618/article/lions-gm-on-eric-ebron-he-knows-whats-at-stake

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Every time I see the name Ebron it makes me want to punch a kitten after drafting Ebron over Beckham in my rookie draft last year.

Choosing to punish a kitten for being an idiot is Dez-like.

Sounds like he's the one who should be punched, and by more than a kitten.

 

[Milkman]

Decent start to training camp for last year's "bust". Get him now while everyone is still locked into groupthink and piling on.

Why he sucks.

 

[georg013]

Decent start to training camp for last year's "bust". Get him now while everyone is still locked into groupthink and piling on.

Why he sucks.

Kyle Meinke ‏@kmeinke 12m

12 minutes ago
Eric Ebron with a couple more nice catches today, including one over right coverage from Abdul-Quddus

Kyle Meinke ‏@kmeinke Aug 5

Martin Mayhew on Eric Ebron: "I see a lot more disciplined, professional, motivated and realistic guy" http://bit.ly/1W1uiPY

Detroit Lions News ‏@LionsMLive Aug 5

There's a lot to like about Lions TE Eric Ebron's offseason http://bit.ly/1SMPvxX

Detroit Lions ‏@Lions Aug 3

This @Ebron85 catch in traffic was the play of #LionsCamp Day 1.

Josh Katzenstein ‏@jkatzenstein Aug 3

Eric Ebron with the play of the day, high-pointing a ball over Tulloch with Quin and Ihedigbo nearby.

Detroit Lions ‏@Lions 23h

23 hours ago
TE @Ebron85 is letting his actions do the talking this year.

Tim Twentyman ‏@ttwentyman Aug 4

Mayhew said he's noticed a much higher level of maturity from Eric Ebron in year two

Yeah...he sucks. Lol. And he will always suck and never ever ever get better.

 

[Ilov80s]

Rookie TEs are notoriously terrible and Ebron was super young. Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap and Jason Witten were also 21 year old rookie TEs.

16/206/1

25/248/1

33/368/2

35/347/1

Ebron basically did what young rookie TEs not named Gronk or Hernandez do their rookie years.