Eric Ebron and the Holy Grail of football

[Thruthefog]

Football is a unique game in one aspect as far as the people who play it go. For nearly all of us at a point in our football lives came a time in which we realized that it was time to 'throw down' or walk away. For me, that time came when I was a soph in HS. When I looked up and realized that all my friends had added another 'me' to their frame, and I had only got a little bigger. Either become a terror on the field with absolutely no regard for my body, or learn to play tennis. That was the choice I had.

Many of the players who are drafted every year have never had to face this. Yet. The one question most good GMs want answered, is how will the player react to this new reality. Because of the ones who haven't had to face the prospect of their football survival, 99.9% of them will.

I know I harp on Mayhew, but the reality is that about half of NFL GMs are incompetent. It doesn't make me feel any better to know we have one. The pick of a TE at #10 is bad enough, but when it's a guy that is big enough and athletic enough to have never had to face any real adversity, it makes me think Mayhew isn't even aware of this dynamic.

Can Ebron work through this stage of his developement? Maybe. I don't know what is in his heart. But I'll say this. I would have a lot more confidence if someone could show me a clip of him laying someone the fuck out. He's a TE for god's sake.

 

[RobBase]

In before Titus Paulus mental meltdown.

 

[broncosmitty]

I could tell early last year that you sensed a weakness about Ebron, Fog. Not his well documented poor track record with football catching. An actual weakness. Tbh, I've yet to even take the young man serious. He seems a silly oversized 9th grader to me. Which isn't a weakness really, it's something else. Whatever it is, maybe it's the Holy Grail, maybe it's something nobody has thought of, I think there's time to put a finger on it.

Only I don't mind if others have already ran out of patience with our OchoCinco. I'm only a fan because he prevented Mayhew from fucking up worse than normal. I don't have any real optimism for him, like I did with BP year after year before we hired a guy that had never called plays to call our plays. He's just on our team to me. If someone comes up with that elusive clip, I could start to slide from indifferent to what could be confused with optimism.



(I read the OP with John Williams playing in my Head. And I keep sayin' "Indiana was the dogs schname." Over and over.)

 

[Thruthefog]

I don't have any real optimism for him, like I did with BP year after year before we hired a guy that had never called plays to call our plays.

I've always liked Pettigrew. Think he gets a bad rap here. I couldn't believe the extent to which he disappeared under Lombardi.

 

[Old Lion]

I've always liked Pettigrew. Think he gets a bad rap here. I couldn't believe the extent to which he disappeared under Lombardi.

Lombardi has never made use of the inline TE in his offense. Maybe it will change this year. He has not been around that long so who knows.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Not to fuel the Ebron-hater fire, but I'm also not a fan of his attitude/persona. That was probably my biggest knock on him coming out in the pre-draft process, he just seemed like a dick...

His skillset and physical prowess is still top-notch, though. What team were we playing last season where he hurdled the tackler and rammed the second guy like a big-horned sheep and knocked the dude right out of the game with a concussion? That was a bad-ass physical play that I'd like to see a lot more of out of him...

 

[broncosmitty]

I've always liked Pettigrew. Think he gets a bad rap here. I couldn't believe the extent to which he disappeared under Lombardi.

I've got a lot more patience with Ebron than I do Lombardi.

Shouldn't have to groom, coach up or have to wait for an OC to get comfortable.

I'll always be a fan of BP.

 

[RobBase]

I've got a lot more patience with Ebron than I do Lombardi.

Neither of them were the Lions first, or preferred choice.

 

[RobBase]

I'll always be a fan of BP.

I wanted Lauranitis at 20. But BP turned out a lot better than Oher, who most Lions fans wanted.

 

[Naughtymax]

Oh, I think Oher has had a better career than BP at a vastly more valuable position.

 

[RobBase]

Oher did win a Super Bowl, so I guess that's not that far fetched. Most recently he's been a bust for TN.

 

[broncosmitty]

I wanted Lauranitis at 20. But BP turned out a lot better than Oher, who most Lions fans wanted.

Michael Lewis still convinces people Billy Beane is a special GM.