Like all the players selected in the first round of the 2014 draft, Lions tight end Eric Ebron had a fifth-year option tacked onto the back end of his rookie contract.
The Lions’ decision about whether to pick it up or not may come down to whether they spend another high pick on a tight end this year. During a pre-draft press conference on Thursday, Lions General Manager Bob Quinn included tight end among the deepest position groups in this year’s draft and said that selecting one could impact their ultimate call on Ebron’s option.
“It’s a possibility,” Quinn said, via the Detroit Free Press. “We’re still in the process of evaluating Eric’s situation. ... It’s just something we’ve talked very little about over the past couple months and the deadline’s coming up in two weeks, so we’ll spend the next two weeks discussing it and we’ll kind of see how it goes.”
It doesn’t take a lot to connect the dots between the Lions and Miami tight end David Njoku, who was recruited to the school when Lions tight ends coach Al Golden was the head coach of the Hurricanes. With the 21st pick, however, there’s a lot to unfold before the Lions will know who is available come April 27.