He's going into his age 25 season and has a ton of talent. Worst case scenario is he's a waste of about $8 million of cap space in what looks to be a season that the franchise isn't going to be very focused on the W-L record. Best case is you get a quality starting TE.

Hope it works out.

From his NFL.com draft profile:
First set = Eric Ebron. Second set = Jack Doyle's last 4 years.

2014 / 49 targets / 25 receptions / 51.0% catch rate / 022 targets / 18 receptions / 81.8% catch rate
2015 / 69 targets / 47 receptions / 68.1% catch rate / 014 targets / 12 receptions / 85.7% catch rate
2016 / 86 targets / 61 receptions / 70.9% catch rate / 075 targets / 59 receptions / 78.6% catch rate
2017 / 86 targets / 53 receptions / 61.7% catch rate / 107 targets / 80 receptions / 74.7% catch rate

Ebron has talent coming out of his ears. If he can allow himself to be led by Jack Doyle's example and improve his blocking and catch rate, he should excel in the type of offenses that PHI and SD uses (which is what I am assuming will be installed here).

Jack Doyle had the 6th best run blocking grade of all TEs in 2017 according to PFF. Ebron was the 36th ranked run blocker. If he can be led....

Honestly, I think this was a good signing. He has talent and now that we might have coaches.... It was a position of need for another quality body and we have a guy who has produced and started a lot of games in the NFL. He has averaged 45 catches, 500 yards and 3 TDs a season in 4 years.

I also agree that it will be interesting to see him where he is not "the guy" and just "a guy." The kind of pressure that can come with being drafted #10 overall, only TE drafted in 1st round and 3rd offensive speciality player picked (after Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans) could be pretty overwhelming.

Price is higher than I would have expected but then so are almost all the contracts that lower tier guys are getting. Moncrief at up to $11.5m for 1 year? Really?

Good signing.

Walk Worthy,

Bad hands...
That's what we need!

All that talent, speed, route running... bad hands

He dropped 4 passes in one game and 5 for the rest of the season. Seems like a good buy low candidate based on people thinking he has drop problems. I'll take a 25 year old with his talent and perceived issues that are probably worse in perception than in reality, because that's how you find gems in free agency.

Yep, take a risk on a known drop problem, let proven talent like Melvin go..

Got it
Rated number 11 of the worst fifty "droppers" in the NFL in 2017

https://files.graphiq.com/stories/t4...7703_29956.jpg
7 drops in 85 targets
8.24% drop rate
71.76% catch rate

Proven talent? Melvin was the definition of journeyman before last season. He took a one year prove it deal because no team believed his 2017 wasn't a fluke. I'd rather take a chance on a player who clearly has talent and one perceived flaw.

Meh, probably not a horrible signing. Nothing to get excited about certainly. It’s the lack of other moves that makes you roll your eyes at this. It’s the idea that after finishing 4-12 and entering free agency with over $70m to spend they somehow are even more talent deficient than they were 3 weeks ago. They’ve lost the best two performers off one of the worst defenses in the league and still failed to address the horrendous OL that has been getting their franchise QB killed for years.

I completely understand that the bulk of your talent needs to come from the draft, but Jesus fucking Christ when you are this talent deficient in so many key areas and have so much cap space you have to add a piece or two - even if you have to over pay a little. Every team has overplayed players and the cap has been steadily rising. And you sure as hell can’t afford to cut 26 yr old players that are performing above average for you. Is someone really going to tell me Ebron is going to help the Colts more the Hankins would have? If so I’m not buying it. And I don’t buy that he didn’t fit the scheme. But if he didn’t then change the damn scheme. Good coaches make the best use of their talent. the Colts are in no position to throw away talent for nothing.

Not signing any decent OL and cutting Hankins leaves this team screwed for next year. Now, as everyone seems to be hoping for, the Colts must spend significant draft capital on the OL or go in to next year with Luck being beat up again. So what gets neglected? The damn defense with its holes everywhere. And Luck will still be operating behind rookies and journeymen.

It appears Ballard has decided this is a 3-4 yr rebuild and we’ll just waste some prime Luck years. Is it really impossible to find a middle ground between signing washed up vets to win now and hanging your entire future on “stacking 2, 3, 4 drafts” in a row? God help us if Ballard has a bad draft - you have to stack them to win anything. Certainly can’t use free agency to bring in any pieces worth keeping.

Sorry, I obviously find Ballard’s approach completely stupid. It feels as if he is more concerned with getting a bargain than building a team. Hopefully after another 4th place AFC south finish he’ll understand that ultimately no one gives a damn if a few players are overpaid, it takes talent to win. A roster of “good” contracts doesn’t mean shit. But I guess I should be happy they signed someone. A pass catching TE with bad hands. But at least we are putting the money we saved from Hankins to good use.

A lot of butthurt in this thread...smh.

pretty big flaw though...