There came a point last season, right before the NFL trading deadline, when Eric Ebron became a sympathetic figure in Detroit.
The most hated man in local sports at the time, Ebron was roundly and repeatedly booed by his hometown fans every time his face appeared on the new video boards at Ford Field.
When he dropped a pass, he was jeered. When he caught one, he was celebrated with some of the most sarcastic cheers you'd ever heard.
Ebron's future seemed obvious then — he wasn't going to be part of the Lions' longterm plans, for his good and the good of the team. Still, the team's decision to release him before the start of the new league year Wednesday came as a bit of a shock, if for no other reason than the Lions don't have a ready-made replacement on their roster.
Make no mistake, the Lions had been trying to trade Ebron for some time, going back to October's deadline. And Ebron was clear that he would welcome a move elsewhere and the chance to start anew.
At one point, he took to Twitter to chastise those booing him. "Some of you wouldn’t know the half," he wrote. "Boooo me all u want but pay attention to the whole picture #StayWoke."
At another, he claimed he liked the boos, "cause I'm a G."
The Lions' decision to move on from Ebron wasn't only about his relationship with fans, who never forgave him for being the 10th pick of the 2014 draft, ahead of stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald.
Teams will put up with a lot from talented players, even mercurial ones.
It was about his place in the locker room, where some veterans didn't think he was as good as he thought he was. And it was about money.
TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina: Don't sleep on tight end as a position of need for the Lions. Eric Ebron is entering the final season of his contract, and Hurst is the type of receiving threat who's worthy of a second-round pick. (Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
The Lions have enough cap room to sign a good defensive tackle and add some depth to the interior of their offensive line, and they would have even if they didn't cut Ebron.
But at $8.25 million, the Lions did not think Ebron's production was commensurate with the salary he was set to make this fall.
Routinely one of the league leaders in drops, Ebron saw his production dip last season when he caught 53 passes for 574 yards. Both of those marks ranked third on the team, though this year he was more likely to enter the season as the Lions' fourth or fifth receiving option (behind Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Kenny Golladay and perhaps Theo Riddick).
Considering the going rate for tight ends in free agency — Trey Burton, a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, got $8 million per year from the Chicago Bears — Ebron's salary didn't seem completely out of line. But the fact the Lions couldn't find any takers at that rate, in a league that loves pass catchers, says all there is to know about Ebron's value.
Ebron, as of this writing, hasn't taken to any of his favorite social media platforms to comment about the move or his time in Detroit, other than to retweet a list that ranked him as the fifth most productive tight end in NFL history through their Age 24 seasonswith 186 catches, behind the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, Rob Gronkowski and Kellen Winslow.
Never mind that Ebron, who turns 25 next month, has played more seasons — four — than most previous tight ends at the same age.
Ebron is a talented player who should find work in relatively short order, even if it's not at the same salary. He can stretch the field as a receiver, he improved the last few years as a blocker, and being away from Detroit and that burdensome draft status could free him up mentally to make more plays.
As for the Lions, there has to be more coming — at tight end and elsewhere.
So far, they've agreed to terms with just three free agents, linebackers Devon Kennard and Christian Jones and cornerback DeShawn Shead. None of those players is a game-changer, though all could be important parts of Matt Patricia's revamped defense.
But the Lions still have holes to fill at defensive tackle and on the interior of the offensive line, and now they have one of their own making at tight end.
Eric Ebron (85) of the Detroit Lions celebrates with Kenny Golladay (19) against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
Mike Roberts, a fourth-round pick out of Toledo last season, is the most experienced tight end on the roster with four career catches in 15 games. Hakeem Valles, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, is his top backup.
Maybe the Lions sign an Ebron replacement like the oft-injured Tyler Eifert, or maybe they put some of their cap savings towards a run-stuffer for the middle of their defense.
There's still six months till the season-opener, so no one need panic about the moves the Lions have or haven't made so far.
For now, the decision to release Ebron is both understandable and curious. Ebron should be better off elsewhere, while the Lions have some maneuvering to do before the same can be said for them.
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!