Lions pick up Ebron's fifth year option

[Mitchrapp]

I do hope we go more 2 TE sets.... might need to without boldin and it would mean Roberts plays his way onto the field.

I would like it to. Matt is best on short passes, and not throwing 650 times. TE will help the short pass game, and the run game.. Assuming we get some blocks.

 

[Tonyballs2]

Ill agree he's a te. As long as you agree he doesn't do anything In the run game that a typical TE is supposed to do. He might as well be a wr in that case.

Oh, you're going to agree that he's a TE?? That's great, man lol.
He's not the only TE in the NFL that doesn't block btw. There's a shitload of them actually. Extremely rare to see a guy like Gronk that dominates in both departments. You're either getting a kid that can catch well or block well. This isn't a new thing that just started happening...

 

[Tonyballs2]

I do hope we go more 2 TE sets.... might need to without boldin and it would mean Roberts plays his way onto the field.

I read that Boldin is still in play to come back. Would be nice for the new kid I think...

 

[thehippo73]

Ebron has 7 receiving TDs in his career.

Kyle Rudolph, Delanie Walker, Cameron Brate, Martellus Bennett, Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry had 7+ TDs last season.

Ebron has too many other deficiencies, i.e drops, blocking, to not excel in every receiving category. Ebron must be more of an option near the end zone than he has been to justify his position on the team.

 

[LKP]

Ebron had 5 TDs in 2015 which was 9th best for TE. He was 8th best in TE yards this year. Ebron is a good Tight End and good weapon especially given his limited targets due to other good weapons on the Lions.


We'll see if he puts them both together in 2017. He should because he's such a talent. However, he shares lots of targets with lots of other good players so that limits his output sometimes.


What is the STFU production?


900 yards and 7 TDs, 1,000 yards and 8 TDs


Call out what you want to see from him.

 

[dubbsco]

He shares lots of targets?? WITH WHO? Other than Boldin who can barely move, what WRs on this team are red zone threats?

He should be DOMINATING in the RZ with his size and raw talent, but he doesn't because he can't catch the freaking ball when it matters.

 

[LKP]

He shares lots of targets?? WITH WHO? Other than Boldin who can barely move, what WRs on this team are red zone threats?

He should be DOMINATING in the RZ with his size and raw talent, but he doesn't because he can't catch the freaking ball when it matters.

Marvin Jones and Golden Tate are top two receivers on the team. Jones had a ton of RZ targets (fades). Riddick had 5 receiving TDs in 10 games. Plus Boldin. Yes he shares a lot of redzone and regular targets.

 

[dubbsco]

I could look at any team and pick their best two receivers and say, "These are the top two receivers on X team."

Tate is 5'10. Jones is 6'2. They aren't red zone threats. In fact, they caught 8 TOTAL tds between the two of them. With his size, he should be the first guy they to. And they have, but he dropped a ton.

 

[LKP]

I could look at any team and pick their best two receivers and say, "These are the top two receivers on X team."

Tate is 5'10. Jones is 6'2. They aren't red zone threats. In fact, they caught 8 TOTAL tds between the two of them. With his size, he should be the first guy they to. And they have, but he dropped a ton.

Jones got the targets. It's a fact. Fades all day to him. Tried Tate a lot too. Boldin a big threat. Riddick too.

Ebron was covered. Refs took away a TD in the Titans game too. Ebron missed 3 games as well which makes less targets.

 

[LKP]

Boldin had 22 red zone targets, Tate had 17 red zone targets, Marvin Jones had 15, Riddick had 14 in 10 games and Ebron had 6 (and caught 5 of them). He was sharing targets big time.

 

[dubbsco]

You are just feeding right into my point. Those guys aren't red zone threats, and yet they are getting the majority of the looks. Why do you think that is?

Pretty simple. Because Ebron hasn't earned or done anything to establish himself in that side of the field. And when he has, he drops balls.

He's a top 15 pick who should be dominating and being the first guy the Lions look to. But he's not even close.

 

[LKP]

Ebron has earned it. He had 5 TDs in 13 games in 2015 and was a threat. So he was covered more by defenses in 2016. Also, the middle of the field is more dangerous. Fades to Jones, gimmicks to Tate and Riddick to the flat is safer. Plus Boldin took a ton of targets. 22 RZ targets was 3rd most in the league.


Ebron is a good redzone receiver. 2015 proves that. Catching 5 of 6 in 2016 proves that.

 

[LKP]

Basically if Ebron had 22 targets or 17 targets. He'd have 8 TDs.

 

[dubbsco]

Why do you keep going back to 2015? That was two seasons ago.

I don't want to hear about what part of the field is more dangerous, give me a break dude. He's a TIGHT END (love this, actually builds into my point even more) who should embrace contact and own the middle of that field. But he can't, because he's not a REAL TIGHT END.

When you are a tight end drafted in the 1st round, you better be a freaking beast who owns that red zone. He's neither.

 

[LKP]

Fades to Jones, to Riddick and Tate are safer. Ebron would own the middle of the field if he got 22 targets in the redzone. Probably will this year with Boldin gone.


Lions have a ton of redzone targets. Jones, Ebron, Golladay, Roberts, Tate and Riddick still too. Lots of options for Stafford. 30+ TDs for sure in 2017

 

[LKP]

You are assuming he didn't dominate the middle too. Stafford looked elsewhere because he had other good options too. Why force it in the crowded middle of the field.

 

[dubbsco]

I'm not assuming a thing. I'm looking at a little thing called his statistics. He caught 1 TD pass.

Hard to make assumptions.

 

[LKP]

I'm not assuming a thing. I'm looking at a little thing called his statistics. He caught 1 TD pass.

Hard to make assumptions.

On 6 targets in redzone. He caught 5 passes. There are lots of targets to other Lions weapons. Lions are loaded with red zone weapons and Ebron didn't get the targets. The little thing called red zone targets stats back that up

Ebron with 22 red zone targets is 10 TDs

 

[dubbsco]

Well, we basically will never find any common ground if you think this team is loaded with red zone weapons. They were 17th in TD RZ percentage in 2016. So if you think being 17th is "Loaded with Red Zone weapons," we'll never agree on anything. If they were loaded at 17th, then the team in 1st (Tenn) has the best RZ weapons in the history of the NFL.

 

[tomdalton22]

On 6 targets in redzone. He caught 5 passes. There are lots of targets to other Lions weapons. Lions are loaded with red zone weapons and Ebron didn't get the targets. The little thing called red zone targets stats back that up

Ebron with 22 red zone targets is 10 TDs

I don't understand your point. Are you saying if Ebron got 22 red zone targets he would have 10 TDs?

Based on last years numbers, if he had 4 times the red zone targets (6x4 = 24 targets) he would have 4 TDs (1x4=4 TDs)