With Free Agency looming, the entire NFL and fans are holding their breath, waiting to see what the new league year will bring. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in that boat, with multiple free agents from their own team ready to hit the market. One of the biggest names that will be hitting the market from the team is wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster’s future is very much up in the air. He himself has said he wishes to stay in Pittsburgh, but also wants to get paid what he’s worth. An unfortunate situation many players find themselves in heading into the market. If Smith-Schuster were to walk, the team has very capable guys waiting in the wings. Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson will look to build off solid rookie and sophomore campaigns, and James Washington has shown his reliable hands more than a few times this past season. However, I feel I haven’t heard much about Eric Ebron.
The veteran tight end made an almost immediate impact in Pittsburgh this year. In 15 games and 9 starts, Ebron posted 56 catches on 91 targets for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns. These numbers don’t jump off the page, but how he got there certainly does.
Ebron wasn’t perfect, heading into camp he admitted he was never asked to run block. From the beginning of the season you could see it wasn’t his strength, but the effort was there. Ebron was also often the third/fourth option behind Smith-Schuster, Johnson, and Claypool. Getting to those numbers shows he made the most of his opportunities when presented to him.
He did have his drops. Not denying that, and again it wasn’t perfect, but it was his first year with the team in a new offense. There was no true off-season program to get familiar with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the team as a whole. For what he had to prepare with, I thought it was a pretty good season. I believe if Smith-Schuster were to walk, he’d only be presented with more opportunities. 91 targets is a lot as it is, and Smith-Schuster’s void of 128 targets would leave a whole lot of production out there to be made.
With a full off-season, and that increase in looks, Ebron not only would be in line for a larger role, but could be crucial to the teams success overall. With a full off-season to prep and hopefully a real off-season to prepare, I believe Ebron could get back to his 2018 form when he was voted to the Pro Bowl playing for the Indianapolis Colts. This would be big for the team, who hasn’t sent a tight end to the Pro Bowl since Heath Miller in 2012. Of course, if all goes right, Ebron will not be at the Pro Bowl, but with the rest of the team in Inglewood, California prepping for the Super Bowl.
The next few weeks will be telling of how this offense could look heading into next season. If Smith-Schuster walks, Ebron's number will be called upon to step up, and I believe he will be up to the challenge.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? If Smith-Schuster leaves, will Ebron be up to the challenge? Could he get back to the Pro Bowl? Is it too late for that? Let us know in the comment section below or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
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