Eric Ebron - Pro Football Rumors

Birkett On Lions’ Roster

June 22nd, 2014 at 7:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Lions are still working to sign star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to an extension, and by doing so the team will gain some immediate cap relief, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). He also notes that the team was in a similar situation when they freed up $3MM after signing quarterback Matthew Stafford last offseason.

Here are some other notes from Birkett from around the Lions (all links via Twitter):

On the timetable of the negotiations, Birkett expects the team to get a deal done before training camp, much like they did last year with Stafford. In a separate tweet, he says the likelihood of the extension coming is at 55% in his opinion.
When asked if guard Rob Sims and linebacker C.J. Mosley could be cut in favor of younger players, Birkett says he doesn’t see it happening. The moves wouldn’t be necessary to sign Suh, so there is no reason to part with veterans who could still be productive players.
While the team’s top two wide receivers will be superstar Calvin Johnson and offseason acquisition Golden Tate, the team has four players competing to work out of the slot. Although Kevin Ogletree and Kris Durham are in the mix, Birkett predicts either Ryan Broyles or Jeremy Ross will ultimately take that spot.
While the fight for the number three receiver has a number of options, the most likely answer will be first-round pick Eric Ebron, according to Birkett. Though nominally a tight end, he could have the explosiveness to cause mismatches out of the slot or tight to the formation in some sets.

Lions Sign First-Rounder Eric Ebron

June 13th, 2014 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

First-round pick Eric Ebron has officially signed his contract with the Lions, according to a tweet from the tight end himself. Ebron posted a photo of him putting pen to paper, announcing that it’s a “done deal.” The move ensures that Detroit now has its entire 2014 draft class under contract.

Ebron, 21, was viewed as far and away the best tight end prospect in this year’s draft class after racking up 973 receiving yards on 62 receptions during his junior year at North Carolina in 2013. Still, it was a bit of a surprise when the Lions selected him with the 10th overall pick last month — the team already committed a significant portion of its offseason spending to pass-catchers to complement Calvin Johnson, having signed Golden Tate and Brandon Pettigrew to long-term deals. The Ravens were reportedly very interested if the UNC product had lasted a little longer in the first round.

The eight and final Lions draftee to ink his deal, Ebron will be in line for a signing bonus of more than $7.228MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The four-year value of the contract, which includes a fifth-year team option, will be about $12.249MM. We’ll have to wait to hear details about possible offsets, but the pact will likely be fully guaranteed.

It was believed that the Lions would have to rework another player’s deal to create cap space to formally sign Ebron, so we’ll see if any corresponding moves are reported today. Ndamukong Suh is the most notable restructure candidate on the roster, but the club wouldn’t necessarily have had to do something with his contract in particular in order to sign Ebron.

North Notes: Ravens, Ebron, Bears, Haden

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on the latest items from around the AFC and NFC North divisions….

Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta shed some light on the Ravens‘ targets in this month’s draft, and Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com rounded up a few of his comments. According to DeCosta, he was disappointed that Baltimore didn’t have a chance to land tight end Eric Ebron, who he believes “has a chance to be a difference maker, Pro Bowl type guy.” The Ravens also liked safety Jimmie Ward and were hoping he might be there in the second round, but he was snapped up by the 49ers late in the first.
ESPN.com’s team reporters are breaking down the offseasons for the clubs they cover, and the NFC North group published their recaps today. Rob Demovsky examines the Packers, Ben Goessling sizes up the Vikings, Michael Rothstein looks at the Lions, and Michael C. Wright weighs in on the Bears.
With Brandon Marshall locked up, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wonders which Bears might be next in line for contract extensions, noting that veteran linebacker Lance Briggs represents an interesting case — the longtime Chicago starter is entering the final year of his contract, but turns 34 this fall, so a long-term deal likely won’t be in the cards. Biggs’ mailbag piece also includes discussions about several other topics, including the Bears’ special teams, rookie minicamp, and receiving depth.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com provides a few specific details on Joe Haden‘s new contract with the Browns, listing the cornerback’s annual base salaries and workout bonuses.

North Rumors: Browns, Ravens, Lions, Steelers

May 8th, 2014 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Could it be the Browns, rather than the oft-rumored Texans or Rams, that end up moving down in a deal with the Falcons tonight? Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) believes that’s a possibility if Khalil Mack is still available at No. 4. Mack remains a strong potential candidate to go to Jacksonville at No. 3, but there are certainly feasible scenarios in which he remains on the board at No. 4, and if Cleveland is eyeing another player, moving down a couple spots and picking up an extra pick or two could be worthwhile.

Here are a few more draft-day updates on AFC and NFC North teams, among others:

Unsurprisingly, given the familial connection between the two franchises, the Ravens and 49ers have engaged in some trade discussions, per Rapoport (via Twitter). San Francisco has frequently been cited as a team that would like to move up in the first round and has the ammunition to do it.
Finding help for their respective quarterbacks seems to be a focus for both the Lions and Bills, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). That suggests to me that if either team was able to trade up it would be for a wide receiver or an offensive tackle, rather than a defensive player.
It’s worth keeping an eye on the Steelers and tight end Eric Ebron in the first round tonight, says Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
Tight end Jordan Cameron has signed with CAA Sports and will be represented by agents Tom Condon and R.J. Gonser, tweets Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal. The Browns are reportedly hoping to lock up Cameron before he reaches free agency in 2015.
The Lions intend to waive linebacker Jon Morgan with an injury settlement soon to free up space to sign undrafted free agents, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Morgan signed a futures contract with the team after the season, but injured his knee during a voluntary workout last month.

AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Jets

May 6th, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Tuesday items from around the AFC….

At The MMQB.com, Peter King’s first-round mock draft includes a few notable nuggets. King notes that the Bills “love” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and that he expects the Dolphins to try to trade up to land offensive tackle Zack Martin.
Sources tell Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net that tight end Eric Ebron is the Ravens‘ top target in the first round. Ebron may still not be on the board at No. 17, but Pauline hears that the Giants (No. 12) are souring a little on the tight end due to possible personality red flags.
The Jets are keeping in contact with quarterbacks projected to be first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who suggests that perhaps the club is simply keeping its options open in case one of those players falls.
Amidst rumors that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam covets Johnny Manziel, Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that Haslem may not be the only team owner who could step in and push his club to draft Johnny Football.
Mock negotiations continue between former agent Joel Corry and former team exec Ari Nissim, who are conducting hypothetical contract talks between J.J. Watt’s agent and the Texans. Part three of the enlightening series has now been published at the National Football Post.
Michigan wide receiver Jeremy Gallon tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that he views the Patriots and Broncos as potential fits for him, given his size and the success players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman have had in those systems.

Monday Roundup: Keisel, More Draft Notes

May 5th, 2014 at 10:48pm CST by Rory Parks

It might come as a bit of a shock, but there is one piece of non-draft news to pass along tonight. According to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not ruled out a possible reunion with DE Brett Keisel. Tomlin added that the team has to add to its defensive line (Twitter link).

Now let’s round up some more draft-related rumors for the final post of the evening and gear up for another day of draft nuggets tomorrow.

More and more teams are trying to mimic the examples set by master draft manipulators like Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome and New England’s Bill Belichick, and so there has been a great deal of speculation regarding what teams might want to move up or down in the 2014 draft, particularly in the first round. The defending AFC champions are no exception. Broncos GM John Elway says he is open to trading up or down, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and although the team could use a cornerback, the top CB prospects are likely to be gone before Denver’s No. 31 overall selection. Linebacker and offensive lineman are also first-round possibilities for the club.
ESPN.com’s Mike Sando has compiled a list of the top eight questions to consider heading into Thursday’s first round. The whole article is worth a read, but the highlights include Sando’s belief that Khalil Mack could be the top prospect to have an Aaron Rodgers-like fall in the draft, and his insight that Odell Beckham, Jr., not Mike Evans, could be directly behind Sammy Watkins as the No. 2 wideout on some teams’ boards.
Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Michael Sam, despite the positive publicity he has garnered over the past few months, is widely regarded as a “non-entity” by many top executives.
Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net writes that the Ravens‘ top target is TE Eric Ebron, who may or may not be around when the Ravens pick at No. 17 overall. According to Pauline, the Giants may be souring on Ebron, though if Baltimore does not trade up, the Steelers are also considered a top suitor for Ebron’s services.
ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky looks at some potential targets for the Titans if they choose to trade down.
ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco makes a case for the Jaguars to draft Teddy Bridgewater.
NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the Chiefs could be a surprise team in the market for a first-round QB, as negotiations with Alex Smith are not progressing well.

NFC Draft Notes: Eagles, Vikings, Giants

May 3rd, 2014 at 10:12pm CST by Peter Sowards

Eagles coach Chip Kelly is on record saying how much he loves Johnny Manziel. Kelly recruited Manziel while at Oregon, but Manziel spurned Kelly’s best efforts and ended up at Texas A&M.

Is a possible reunion in order?

Andrew Kulp of The 700 Level pegs Johnny Football as the best fit for the Eagles at No. 22, citing Kelly’s affinity for the free-wheeling Texan. It’s highly unlikely that Manziel slips that far, but it sure would make for must-see TV every Sunday.

More draft notes from the NFC…

The Vikings select Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley in Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ latest mock draft. Vikings brass could be skittish after the Christian Ponder pick didn’t work out so well, Tomasson writes.
A strong relationship between head coach and general manager is key to a team’s success in the draft room, and it appears that the Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman of the Vikings are in the process of building one, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
The Giants will need to get as close as they can to batting 1.000 in the upcoming draft, says Tom Rock of newsday.com. After building a reputation as a draft savant — leading to two Super Bowls — general manager Jerry Reese has not had the same success in recent years.
Three players that the Giants could target at No. 12, according to the New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel: North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans and Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin.
If the Seahawks want to stay on top of the league, they’ll have to do more of the same — draft well. But, as The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta writes, it’s become even more important to hit on late-round picks now that key players like safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are earning second contracts and eating up prime real estate on the salary cap.
The Bucs may have to take Manziel if he’s on the board at No. 7, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. If not, Stroud thinks the team could take a QB in the second or third round, possibly offering 2013 third-round pick Mike Glennon in a trade.
The Panthers worked out Fresno State cornerback L.J. Jones, reports Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Jones is projected as a late-round pick after being named as an All-Mountain West-Conference honorable-mention.
You can try your hand as Ted Thompson and play GM of the Packers with an online roster builder tool launched by Press-Gazette Media, spending up to $133MM and cutting the roster down to 53 players.

AFC North Draft Notes: Ebron, Ravens, Bengals

May 3rd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest out of the AFC North:

The Ravens would likely select tight end Eric Ebron in the event that he falls to pick No. 17, tweets Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. Baltimore could also have interest in Jace Amaro or Austin Seferian-Jenkins, likely in the second round.
In another tweet, Zenitz mentions that the have Ravens interest in yet another tight end, Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas, who is viewed as an excellent in-line blocker.
In a separate, full-fledged article, Zenitz points to the Ravens’ addition of tight-end friendly offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak as evidence for why adding a third tight end to a group that already includes Dennis Pitta and Owen Daniels is not unfathomable.
Teddy Bridgewater to the Bengals makes sense, writes Cole Harvey of ESPN.com, even if Cincinnati has more pressing needs. Harvey still believes the team should focus on either defense or offensive line depth in the first round, but allows that the addition of Bridgewater would be a smart play what with Andy Dalton‘s looming contract situation.
Former NFL general manager Bill Polian doesn’t think Ebron is a fit for the Steelers, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Ebron, who is more a of a dynamic pass-catcher than an in-line tight end, would not mesh with the Steelers’ preference for TEs who maul in both run and pass blocking.
Because of Brian Hoyer‘s rapid recovery from injury, and the signing of Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen, the Browns might be positioning themselves to draft a quarterback in the second round, or even later, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. This would allow the team to focus its two first-round picks on other positions of need, such as receiver or cornerback.

Pompei On Clowney, Ebron, Jets, Thomas

May 1st, 2014 at 8:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Jadeveon Clowney is widely regarded as the best player in this year’s draft but that doesn’t mean that teams believe he’s someone worth trading up for, writes Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report. The Bills (No. 9) and Falcons (No. 6) are potential players in a Clowney trade-up scenario. The Bills are a long way away and would have to come up with a compensation package for the Texans that might be regrettable down the line. The Falcons, at No. 6, meanwhile, have less of a gap to cross but it still won’t be cheap. Officials familiar with trades of this nature estimated it would cost Atlanta the sixth pick, their second-round pick, and their fourth-round pick in a best-case scenario. Here’s more from today’s column…

Teams could be jockeying for tight end Eric Ebron and even though several execs say the UNC product has the ability to be a top-10 pick, he might slip further because some teams don’t want to take a tight end that high. The word going around is teams in the low teens or even high 20s could make a move for Ebron if he slides a bit. Candidates to move up for him are the Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Packers.
Chris Borland of Wisconsin may be the best pure 4-3 middle linebacker in the draft (if C.J. Mosley is considered an outside linebacker), but he might not be the first drafted. There have been questions about Borland’s height (shy of 6’0″), arm length (29 1/4″) and speed (4.83 40-yard dash), but none of those issues are as problematical as his bad shoulder. Sources say multiple teams have downgraded Borland because of his medical file. In 2010, he missed all but two games with a shoulder injury, and some doctors fear the shoulder will become an issue again. Borland has undergone had two shoulder surgeries.
The Seahawks had no hesitation about making Earl Thomas the highest-paid safety in league history last week in part because they saw him take his commitment to a higher level over the last year. Seattle sources say Thomas, taking a cue from quarterback Russell Wilson, began working harder than ever last offseason. Thomas’ new work ethic proved to be contagious and others played follow the leader.
One of the reasons Indiana receiver Cody Latimer‘s stock has risen is he has come across wonderfully in interviews. One front-office man said Latimer has the type of character that can help give a receiver room and even an offense an identity.

Draft Notes: Ebron, Ford, McGill, Bridgewater

April 22nd, 2014 at 9:54pm CST by Zachary Links

North Carolina’s Eric Ebron took to Twitter to announce that he’ll be traveling to New York, Florida, and Tennessee this week. The Jets would be a logical destination for the athletic tight end, though he may not last until pick No. 18. Of course, he could also pay the Giants a visit he’s in town and Florida could mean stops with the Buccaneers, Dolphins, or Jaguars. Ebron could certainly be in play for the Titans at No. 11 and they’ve been said to have interest in recent weeks. A look at tonight’s draft news..

Auburn standout Dee Ford, who visited the Falcons today, has already paid a visit to the Texans, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Ford is a classic hybrid pass rusher as a 3-4 outside linebacker who could potentially play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme if he bulks up.
Utah cornerback Keith McGill is visiting the Jets today, a source tells Seth Walder of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) hears that the Dolphins like Tennessee right tackle Ju’Wuan James. The 6’6″ 312 pound lineman is likely a second round type.
When all is said and done, the talk about Teddy Bridgewater plummeting in the draft might be much ado about nothing, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.