Pittsburgh Steelers fans are excited about the impact of Eric Ebron on the upcoming NFL season. The former Indianapolis Colts tight end has the potential to shift the Steelers’ offense into a powerhouse, in collaboration with several other players.
Ebron’s Statistics as a Colt
Ebron was originally selected by the Detroit Lions with the 10th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Despite being picked in the first round, the tight end didn’t quite live up to the expectations of the Lions.
Detroit traded Ebron to the Colts after four seasons.
In 2018, his first year in Indianapolis, Ebron had the best season of his career. He recorded 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. With these statistics, he set a single-season franchise record for tight ends. Ebron also had a 60.0 catch percentage that year.
Last year, Ebron only totaled 31 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. In November, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery.
When the Colts signed tight end Jack Doyle to a three-year contract extension, it became obvious that Indianapolis had no plans of keeping Ebron around.
Making the Transition
Ebron signed a two-year deal with the Steelers in late March. The contract is worth $12 million.
“We’re familiar with Ebron’s talent,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in April. “We’ve played him quite a bit since he’s been in the league. We are excited about acquiring him and adding him to our offensive mix. He’s a talented guy with a unique skillset for his position.”
Many people were concerned that Ebron would struggle with the transition to a new team given the circumstances. With no summer practices or OTAs, the tight end was forced to figure things out himself for a few months.
Luckily, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger allowed Ebron to stay at his house when they got together for throwing sessions. Ebron’s extra time with his new veteran quarterback should be evident on the field this season.
Throughout training camp, Ebron has gotten to know his teammates on and off the field.
Working with other offensive weapons like Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Roethlisberger has given him a leg up heading into the season.
The Steelers’ offensive players seem eager to start the season and are confident that they can have a comeback year.
We boutta go stupid in the redzone E 😂😤 https://t.co/JluMvBoOjc
— Chase Claypool (@ChaseClaypool) August 29, 2020
Potential Impact of Eric Ebron in 2020
Ebron has been one of the stars of training camp in Pittsburgh.
“He’s been a challenge for everyone he’s faced on whatever team he’s been on over the course of his career, and that has proven to be true in a training camp-like setting,” Tomlin said. “This guy’s made some exciting plays for us, particularly in those spaces”.
Making plays against the Steelers’ defense is hard for anyone, but Ebron has managed to do so in practice.
'He is a different type of tight end. He is very elite. He has receiver like movements. He is a mismatch (for the defense) at any position you put him.' – @_Dbush11 on @Ebron85
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) August 21, 2020
Although the Steelers already have Vance McDonald, the addition of Ebron should make them an unstoppable duo at the tight end position.
“We know invariably that those guys and other have a chance to really make us versatile and make us an issue for those teams we play against,” Tomlin said.
Ebron is expected to be a major scoring threat this season. Coaches and fans think that Ebron might just be the weapon that the Steelers’ offense has been needing for the last several years.
Featured Image Courtesy of Behind the Steel Curtain.
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