Caldwell: Chances Lions dealing Ebron were exaggerated
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions fielded calls about trading Eric Ebron — a team source confirmed as much last week — but the realistic possibility of the team shipping the tight end out at the deadline were exaggerated, according to coach Jim Caldwell.
“We didn’t expect him to go anywhere,” Caldwell said. “Because it’s in the paper, because you guys talk about it, doesn’t make it a fact. OK? So, take that for what it’s worth.
“Some guys just kind of toss names out there just to be tossing them out. They have no information to back it up. So, we don’t need to go into any long diatribe, reacting to what you guys wrote or what you guys reported. We basically just kind of treat it as is, and we’re on to the next game.”
Ebron has struggled to produce in his fourth season, catching 15 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown through seven games. He’s also been plagued by some drop issues, putting several catchable passes on the ground, which has drawn the ire of the home crowd the past two games at Ford Field.
In addition to the drops, quarterback Matthew Stafford accepted some of the blame for Ebron’s disappointing output.
“Part of it’s me throwing the football too, you know?” Stafford said. “But just got to continue to get open, and catch the ball and make plays. That’s what catching the balls all about at receiver, obviously as the tight end he’s got to do a little bit of booth. I think he’s done a nice job for us in the run game at protection stuff.”
Now 2.5 games back in the NFC North, the Lions will look for Ebron to get back to the way he produced in 2016, when he caught a career-high 61 balls for 711 yards.
On what expecting from Ebron down the stretch, Caldwell kept it short and sweet.
“Same thing, improve, get better, and I believe he will,” he said.