The free agent market for tight ends figures is a rock solid one this year to say the least, with names such as Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper headlining the group. However there is one name that may fly under the radar, and that is former Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron began his career in Detroit with the Lions and was a relative disappointment there. He has played the last two seasons for the Colts with whom he has flourished. Ebron figures to be in that second tier of the tight end market and should be a cheaper alternative to Henry or Hooper for teams looking to upgrade at the position. Now let’s take a look at the best free agent team fits for Ebron.
Eric Ebron Free Agency Possible Teams
New England Patriots
The most obvious fit for Ebron has to be the New England Patriots. They struggled mightily at the tight end position following the retirement of Rob Gronkowski. Ebron fits what the Patriots are looking for both on the field and financially. This past season Ebron made 6.5M dollars. He figures to make about the same or perhaps even a little less this summer, making him a nice cost effective signing for the Patriots. In addition to the relatively low price, Ebron presents something the Patriots didn’t have last season, a tight end who can consistently get involved in the offense. During his two seasons in Indianapolis, Ebron caught 16 touchdown passes. That’s 14 more than the entire tight end group for New England in 2019. The fit here is obvious and at the right price New England should definitely be involved for Ebron’s services.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are another team that could use Eric Ebron in 2020. After a disappointing 2019 campaign the Jags will be looking to bounce back in 2020. Their lack of quarterback consistency and lack of a tight end is what sunk the Jacksonville offense. Not a single tight end on Jacksonville’s roster registered more than 200 yards receiving. The team is clearly in need of a big bodied pass catcher especially in the red zone. In what was a down year Ebron was able to rack up 375 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Like I said that’s in a down season and it’s still well above what the Jaguars tight end group did last season. If Jacksonville decides that they want to keep pace with teams like Houston and Tennessee, then bringing Ebron into the mix is almost a necessity.
Miami Dolphins
Back to the AFC East for Ebron’s next free agent fit, the Miami Dolphins. Miami would be an excellent landing spot for Ebron for a variety of reasons. One of them being he and Mike Gesicki would form one of the more intriguing tight end duos in football and would have the potential to be really dangerous for the Dolphins. In addition to this, Miami Head Coach Brian Flores has established a winning attitude in Miami and the team should be competitive sooner rather than later and Ebron could be a big part of that. Lining him up opposite of Gesicki would give defenses another thing to have to worry about, specifically in the red zone, where Ebron can use his 6’4″ 253 pound frame to box out smaller defenders. A new era is about to begin for the Dolphins and Eric Ebron would be a nice fit for the offense moving forward.
Arizona Cardinals
Moving over to the NFC we have the Arizona Cardinals. Unlike most of the teams on this list the Cardinals weren’t abysmal at the tight end position last year. They could certainly use some help as Charles Clay, their top tight end, isn’t getting any younger, but overall they aren’t awful at the position. What Ebron brings to the group is the ability to score in volume. He’s just two years removed from a 13 touchdown campaign and pairing him with Kyler Murray in the red zone could lead to similar production. The Cardinals also have some money to spend with most of their core players on rookie contracts. They can afford to give Ebron a little bit more than other teams that may have interest. Ebron would be an excellent signing if the Cardinals can get it done.
Chicago Bears
The final fit for Eric Ebron is the Chicago Bears. The Bears offense was abysmal at times in 2019. Whether it’s playcalling or quarterback Mitchell Trubisky‘s lack of execution that’s to blame, it’s obvious something needs to change. Chicago got virtually no production from the tight end position in 2019, so having a legitimate starting caliber tight end in the mix would be extremely beneficial for the Bears. As has been mentioned, Ebron had a rough year in 2019, but he was still more productive than all of Chicago’s tight ends. Ebron figures to be a bounce back candidate next season, and Chicago could use his skillset. The fit in Chicago makes a ton of sense and there’s a decent shot it could happen.
Honorable Mentions: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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