APLions tight end Eric Ebron isn’t expecting to be eased into the offense as Detroit’s first-round draft pick.
Ebron, who signed his contract on Friday, told Tim Twentyman of the team’s website that anything short of being a Pro Bowler and the recipient of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award would constitute falling short of expectations.
“My goals are set high. I’m going to try to go for rookie of the year. I believe I can do it,” Ebron said. “My coach right now, he’s saying, ‘Our goal right now is to make it to the Pro Bowl our rookie year.’ Well, your goal is my goal.”
Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has compared Ebron’s role in Detroit to Jimmy Graham’s role in the offense in New Orleans, where Lombardi previously coached. It’s too much to ask for any rookie to have a Graham-like influence, but there are obviously very high expectations for Ebron in Detroit.
Did he forget he was drafted by Detroit ?
Well at least you have goals, unlike the packers whose only goals are to not land on IR!
Tim Twentyman…Great name.
Did he forget he already said he expects Sammy Watkins to get OROTY?
Jordan Reed is the next ELITE TE. Hands down! Hail
This guy is going to be a real good player ; I’m just glad he didn’t end up in the AFC East — my Dolphins will still have to face him this season , but only for one game.
Rookie of the Year = Mike Evans
This man should be drug tested immediately
He’s just a tall receiver right, don’t understand stand why they call him and jimmy graham a tight end
FINALLY somebody has his priorities straight. With all this nonsense about “teams” and “winning games” or “super bowls” I was worried some rookies forgot why this game is being played – to make it to the Pro Bowl! This guy has success written all over him. I see many Pro Bowls and zero Super Bowls in his future. Perfect fit in Detroit.
Those are some great goals, but I wish I heard a little more about, “My goal is to help the team win and I’ll do anything my coach asks.”
I think he’ll face competition from Brandon Cooks, Marquise Lee, Odell Beckham Jr, Sammy Watkins, Jordan Matthews and Teddy Bridgewater. Sorry if I spelled any of those names wrong. I’m still learning the rooks.
Why don’t we play first before we decide we are the best TE ever.
Well if he wants to do all that then he has to make sure he’s solid at catching the ball. He’s going to get a lot of play time and chances galore, but he’s also going to need to make some tough catches and really show off his catch-radius to fit into the Stafford passing system. If he can master the art of catching a football then I like his chances to be special.
These are his goals, they aren’t predictions. You have to set your sights high if you want to achieve your potential.
From the highlights I’ve seen of him this kid can really catch the ball. He also has a better QB than Watkins. I’m not saying he’s going to the Pro Bowl first year but he’s in a great position to succeed in Detroit.
He clearly forgot the savior Teddy Bridgewater landed in Minnesota who will go down in history as the greatest player to ever play the game.
Not even the best rookie TE and he’s predicting the pro bowl? Is modesty frowned upon in this generation?
Nothing wrong with confidence, but this seems something more. Dare I say, arrogance? Take a snap and maybe make a catch first, OK?
That’s cute,the detriot kitty cats are still the most dissapointing franchise in nfl history.Kyle Rudolph is the best TE in the division,Ebron couldn’t hold his jock straps.#2014nfcnorthchampsvikings.SKOL
I really like this kid but it’s a long time between now and the end of season. While he seems to have the potential we certainly have seen rookie stars not make it out of preseason without a season ending injury or have their “Rookie of the Year” hopes snatched away by a late season tragedy such as happened to Tyrann Mathieu. Just saying, even the special talents aren’t always the masters of their own destiny!
The Medal of Freedom should easily be within reach of this rookie. Perhaps even a Nobel Prize.
It’s unlikely this young man’s hubris survives contact with his week 1 opponent.
Dude talks too much
Have they cast his bust in Canton yet?
I find it amusing when a rookie just out of mini camp declares himself a likely Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year before he even plays a snap. Such arrogance is disgraceful.
I nominate Eric Ebron for the Kellan Winslow Jr Soulja Award for his self modesty.
He also graduated first in his class at “How To Like Yourself”
ASJ will have a better rookie year in Tampa. Book it!
Move over Megatron…the new Lion’s Savior has arrived. Maybe Detroit should sign Incognito to work with this rookie.
Maybe he strap a balloon to his back and use all that hot air he blows to float over defenders.
he’s fitting in perfectly. the lions win the lombardi every offseason. hilarious.
Stand strong Snyder! Never change!!
I think he could accomplish both of them. Going to be a very exciting TE.
Read the rest of the interview before you decide the kid is arrogant. His coach and his QB are telling him the Pro Bowl ought to be his goal. He also says he wants to “just do whatever I can to help us win”.
If he becomes ROY and makes the Pro Bowl, then the Lions will undoubtedly be a better team.
He wants to be a good player. Nothing wrong with that.
‘Well at least you have goals, unlike the packers whose only goals are to not land on IR!”
The Packers actually have a goal to win the division, unlike the Lions. They generally meet this goal. Their other goal is to make the play-offs. Been there 5 years in a row.
Lions? Nah, they’re working on making a name for themselves individually. As a team, not so much.
Martellus Bennett is the best TE in the division. Somebody tell Ebon he have to block fast strong DE that are gonna try run thru him every play. Now that he put a target on his helmet. Jared Allen and company gonna have something for you ROOK!👍
BEARDOWN
Maybe winning games should be the goal this year, and not individual awards…
Actully Pettigrew was the best TE until Ebron comes out n shuts all your mouths.
Regardless of his talent, to be shooting his mouth off like this is stupid and bush. If he will be disappointed with anything less than Rookie of the Year, then he is a fool.
First, make the team. Second: Take a snap in a real game. Third: Avoid getting a penalty. Fourth: Block for your teammate with the ball. Fifth: Catch a pass without dropping it or fumbling. Once you have achieved these goals, keep your mouth shut and listen to your veteran teammates and your coaches. These steps are necessary before you go to the Pro Bowl.
As do i.
Getting to the Pro Bowl means he didn’t get to the Super Bowl which is in line with Lions’ expectations.
So good luck to the kid.
Detroit could field an All-Star team of high 1rst rnd picks that couldn’t get the job done. They’re lucky the Raiders were even more hapless, otherwise they’d be the champs.
ariani1985 says:
Jun 15, 2014 1:45 PM
Well at least you have goals, unlike the packers whose only goals are to not land on IR!
——————————–
I’m pretty sure the Packers are the only team in the North who won a superbowl(s) recently….
so again, another doofus that exposes this dolt’s IQ.
The first time i saw him talk in an interview at the draft last month i thought, he might not be the brightest star up there in the sky… well, seems like he’s continuing on his path. Expect more comments like this from that guy…
Kyle Rudolph is the best all around Tight End in our Division. This Year in Norvs Air Coryell system, and an actual Franchise QB, tossing him the rock, this will be a huge season for Rudolph!!!
Packers-12-4
Vikings-10-6
Bears-8-8
Lions-7-9
Vikings will sneak in the playoff as a wildcard. They are quickly assembling a superbowl contender and will win back to back to back in 2016,17,18 seasons with home field advantage in our new stadium !!!! Sweet
try making it in the nfl before you consider yourself a superstar. this dude is a joke
OROY? Right…
Would list any of these guys chances higher than his:
-Bishop Shankey
-Teddy Bridgewater
-Mike Evans
-Devante Adams
-Tre Mason
-Sammy Watkins
-Austin Sefaren Jenkins
-Jeremy Hill (Tds by the bunches)
-Johnny football if he starts
He hasn’t stopped talking about what HE is going to accomplish since he was drafted..
I think it’s funny that among all these OROY talks we speak of WRs, TEs and QBs, and no mention of Bishop Sankey, who walked into the one of the best situations I’ve ever seen for a rookie. Keep sleepin’ on him.
I’m a Bear’s fan, and the Lions are going to destroy us this season.
Did you see him (try to) give the “start your engines” call at the Michigan Nascar race today? His microphone went totally dead and stayed that way. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong…especially for egotistical rookies.
Don’t talk about it – do it.
Do something first.
What happened to Joseph Fauria? He looked pretty serviceable as Detroit’s TE…considering that Stafford threw to one guy all season.
If a rookie on my team doesn’t set the goals for himself as rookie of the year and a pro bowler, then he has no place on my team.
Sorry to upset the 12 year middle mangers making negative comments about a kid that has not even hit the NFL field yet, but setting your goals high and pushing toward them is what makes people and players achieve their best.
good that he has lofty goals —-unlike the f’n francise he plays for
thevikesarebest says: Jun 15, 2014 2:13 PM
That’s cute,the detriot kitty cats are still the most dissapointing franchise in nfl history.Kyle Rudolph is the best TE in the division,Ebron couldn’t hold his jock straps.#2014nfcnorthchampsvikings.SKOL
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Awesome spelling.
Guy talks a lot for being a rookie……
Bad news for Ebron, but Johnny Manziel has already files for the copy write on the phrase “2014 Rookie of the Year.”
Along with “Johnny Cleveland,” “The Great Off-White Hope,” “Mr. Squiggyhead” and “Pumkpinbutt.”
It pays to cover your bases…
Read the INTERVIEW. Jeez. I swear you guys can be thick. It’s like you think Ebron woke up and said to himself, ‘think I’ll call a presser today and announce my intentions to win ROY and Pro Bowl honors!’
DUDE! Be responsible here! You don’t know how many more “Detroit Lions Superbowl Champs 2015” tattoos you’re inspiring.
PLEASE! For the sake of the children!
I like that he has high expectations for himself. And teams have to focus on Megatron, so if he plays well he can make an impact.
Fauria is still a Lion and probably will be an end zone target.
He may want to begin with getting to camp and seeing how the big boys play before running his mouth……
Sometimes I don’t understand you people. If he’s OROY and a Pro Bowler, chances are he’s done his part to help the team to the post season.
Also, Stafford is a 4-5k yard, 30-40 TD kinda guy, so I don’t get what’s with all the “Pro Bowl? Yeah right, he plays for the Lions” remarks. He’s got a better chance than guys drafted in Tampa and Celeveland…
better learn the playbook first also learn how to hang on to the ball.
1. The offseason is a time for fresh starts so there is always great optimism.
2. A coaches job is to find a way to bring out the best in each player.
3. If the NFL is not careful, they will become like the NBA where the focus is given to a talented diva who expects a lot of attention and “respect” at the cost of others on his team.
Pro Bowl…maybe
Division Champ…..no way
Super Bowl Champ….never
talk is cheap. this kid has a loud mouth.
Ungludingo: He did not say he was a likely pro bowler. He said it was a personal goal. If Ebron’s entire quote would have been included, you might have realized that.
He also said on the Lions website that his role is to “Hopefully free up Calvin Johnson a bit to make it easier for Matt to distribute the ball a little bit more and just do whatever I can to help us win.”
Another reason to NOT follow the shield during off-season.
Shazier laughs at this nonsense.
@thetruthcampaign
more appropriately named theliarcampaign or thelosercampaign….I mean you’re a Lions fan. Not every fan gets to continually watch pitiful football year after which in turn makes you delusional and fantasize about being a Bears fan.
So to restate what he said, to every person calling him arrogant:
“My goals are set high.” -Exact same as every other player.
“I’m going to try to go for rookie of the year. I believe I can do it,” -Exact same as every other rookie
“My coach right now, he’s saying, ‘Our goal right now is to make it to the Pro Bowl our rookie year.’ Well, your goal is my goal.” -Coach said do, he does.
I’m seriously failing to find the problem, other than that trolls wants to not read the article and pass judgement without any sort of actual knowledge.
Y’all dumb.
He should have come out and said “I’m really going to suck right from the start”.
The media machine is spinning some pretty standard comments into overconfidence.
It’s true. I’m Lion’s Blue all the way. The last part of my statement is true though. The Lions will destroy you this season…again.