Eric Ebron is a tight end for the Detroit Lions. Drafted out of North Carolina in the first round in 2014 (10th overall), Ebron has been -- shall we say -- underwhelming in his brief time with Detroit.
Spanning the entire 2014 season and the five games (22 in all) played by the Lions so far this year, Ebron has appeared in 17 of them. During those 17 games he's made 40 receptions, not quite two and a half a game. Roughly 10 yards per catch. He's been "targeted" 71 times by QB Matthew Stafford, so his 40 receptions means he catches the pass a little over half the time. Perhaps average for a tight end not named Gronkowski, but maybe not so hot for a guy picked #10 overall. BTW, he seems to have a problem staying healthy.
[It should be noted that Detroit remains the only team in the entire NFL that has yet to win a single game.]
Injured yet again, he had to sit out Detroit's last contest against the Arizona Cardinals. And then Eric Ebron made an incredible statement. Though the Lions were totally blown out at home by the Cards (a late garbage time touchdown to bring them within 25 points is not exactly a close call -- final score 42-17), EE just had to spout off.
Ebron claimed that if he had been healthy and able to play, the Lions would have won that game. Well gee. Let's think about that. Evidently the former Tar Heel is of the opinion that he could have made a 4 touchdown difference just by being on the field. Those are mighty big words for a guy who's only scored 3 touchdowns in his entire NFL career.
Maybe he figured he could grab a couple TD passes on offense and perhaps play on defense and/or special teams as well. As a cornerback, he could pick off a pass and take it to "the house", and maybe run back a kickoff (the Cards were kicking off a lot) 105 yards for yet another touchdown.
That would have been a performance for the ages. But I don't think we're going to see a two-way skill player any time soon. And if it happens, his name surely won't be Eric Ebron. He's a tight end for crying out loud and, at best, an average one at that.
To claim he could have single-handedly made the difference when the rest of his team was getting shellacked in their own stadium by a clearly superior team would seem to indicate one of two things.
Either Ebron has the yet to be discovered alter-ego potential of a Clark Kent, or the Lions drafted another idiot in the first round.
It surely wouldn't be the first time.....
Victory!
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