The Lions will have to make a decision on tight end Eric Ebron‘s fifth-year option by May 3, but their front office has “talked very little about” it, general manager Bob Quinn said Thursday to reporters, including Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Quinn added that team brass is undecided on Ebron’s option and will “spend the next two weeks discussing” it.
Exercising Ebron’s option would give the Lions control over him in 2018 for around $8.5MM, which would be guaranteed for injury only. But Ebron could become superfluous to the Lions beyond the upcoming season if they spend a high pick in this year’s draft on a tight end, which Meinke notes is a possibility. Ebron himself was a high pick not long ago, in 2014, when the Lions selected the ex-North Carolina standout 10th overall.
The 24-year-old Ebron has been fairly prolific during his career, having progressed from 25 catches as a rookie to 47 in 2015 to 61 last season. Only nine tight ends finished 2016 with more receptions than Ebron, who also posted a career-high yards-per-catch average (11.7) and logged a personal-best 13 starts. However, he finished last among TEs in drops (seven) and caught just one touchdown (four fewer than his 2015 total).
Ebron will make $3.9MM in 2017, potentially his final season in Detroit.
I don’t see how how can say he’s been prolific posting 25 and 47 catch seasons. You might as well call Jesse James of the Steelers prolific
They are insinuating that he has grown a lot since his rookie and sophomore year where he had Brandon Pettigrew hands.
I think he’s implying that he’s becoming better and better through his career and is emerging as a prolific target now
He’s not bad, he’s also going to be 24. So he’s young still. But they could just hedge and draft a TE in the 2nd like Engram.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Aaron Donald.
Ryan Shazier.
I cringe whenever I hear any of these guys name knowing any of them could and should have been a lion. Donald probably the most knowing Suh was going to leave. Quinn is 1/1 in drafts so far so let’s do it again.