The Lions need to trade Eric Ebron, who has been inconsistent and cost them Sunday's game vs. Panthers. A change of scenery is best for both sides.
Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett, Carlos Monarrez and Shawn Windsor examine the Lions' 27-24 loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, at Ford Field.
Lions need to trade struggling tight end, who has been inconsistent and cost them Sunday's game.
It’s time to trade Eric Ebron.
We’ve seen enough. Martin Mayhew over-drafted Ebron by making him the 10th overall pick in 2014 and now it’s time for the Detroit Lions to part ways with their talented but inconsistent and unreliable tight end.
On Sunday, the Lions lost to the Carolina Panthers, 27-24. On the opening drive, Ebron dropped a third-down pass in the end zone that sailed through linebacker Shaq Thompson’s hands and bounced off Ebron's chest. The Lions settled for a short field goal and those four missing points cost the Lions a game they could have and should have won.
Simply put, we’ve seen this too often from Ebron over the years. You can’t be an $8-million tight end and drop passes like that, or at least you don’t deserve to be.
The fans at Ford Field, who booed Ebron lustily off the field after the drop, would agree. They even booed him later in the game when he appeared on the jumbo screens during a cutesy video. They booed him again when safety Mike Adams knocked away a would-be catch that was nullified by a Panthers penalty.
And the fans’ booing? Ebron says it doesn’t affect him.
So trade Ebron. Of course, it’s not that simple. Everyone thinks it’s possible to trade trash for treasure, but Ebron’s stock isn’t high. The Lions likely wouldn’t fetch much for him by the Oct. 31 deadline. But if general manager Bob Quinn gets anything offer, even a seventh-rounder, he should make the deal.
The Lions will be just fine without Ebron this season. Darren Fells caught two touchdown passes and has proved in his short time with the Lions to be a much more dependable pass-catcher. Rookie Michael Roberts also looks promising.
Fells was an undrafted project who never played in college and transitioned from pro basketball. Roberts was a fourth-round pick. And the best tight end on the field Sunday — Carolina’s Ed Dickson, who caught five passes for 175 yards — was a fourth-rounder.
I’m not trying to be harsh with Ebron. In fact, I appreciate him and his willingness to explain himself publicly and even call himself out when he plays poorly. Not every player sticks around to answer tough questions after a bad day.
But Sunday, Ebron was defensive. He said Thompson “blinded” him and should have made an interception anyway, and that Adams simply made a great, veteran play. And when a reporter asked if he had lost confidence in himself, Ebron bristled and praised what Fells has done.
Both comments seem to suggest his struggles are not entirely his own fault. Is he suggesting Matthew Stafford is to blame? Maybe offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter?
Ebron specifically said he didn’t have an issue with the play-calling, but he did suggest something isn’t right with the offense.
Coach Jim Caldwell didn’t blame Ebron and also suggested there’s an issue that extends beyond Ebron’s drops and inconsistencies.
Plain and simple, in this game, Ebron’s end zone drop cost the Lions the game. But this game alone isn’t why the Lions need to part ways with Ebron. The Lions need a change of scenery more than they need an inconsistent tight end. And Ebron needs a change of scenery, too.