While the Detroit Lions finished the 2013 season with a whopping 280.1 passing yards per game, good enough for third in the league, it largely came all from Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush and Joique Bell. The Lions' star wide receiver and running backs combined for 191 receptions, 2,545 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. This accounted for nearly 52 percent of their total passing offense. While you would expect a team to feature the best wide receiver in the game and two great receiving backs heavily, we also saw their team collapse when one of them got hurt. Detroit wanted to focus its offseason on improving Matthew Stafford's arsenal, and that's exactly what it did.
The Lions struck early in free agency, finding an immediate upgrade at the wide receiver position and adding a player that will complement Johnson well. While Golden Tate didn't put up eye-popping numbers for the Seattle Seahawks, he was a part of an offense that had just 407 pass attempts in 2013. Now compare that to the Lions pass-heavy offense who attempted 634 passes. Tate also arrived in a situation where opposing teams would focus on stopping Johnson, allowing Tate to use his elusiveness in space and speed to help separate him from single coverage. Tate's addition added another facet to the Lions' offense, but they weren't stopping there.
Leading up to the draft, many expected Detroit to address its secondary or even front-seven. Nick Fairley is entering the final year of his contract and Ndamukong Suh wants a new contract. Meanwhile the team was in need of help in the secondary and the 2014 class offered some talent at both cornerback and safety. The Lions instead went for talent by selecting North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron. Now Stafford would have all the weapons he needed for success—Johnson, Tate, Bush, Bell and Ebron present matchup nightmares, no matter who the defense tries to take away.
It's important though to look on how big of a role Ebron will play for the Lions' offense right out of the gate. Detroit re-signed Brandon Pettigrew to a four-year deal and rookie Joseph Fauria was a go-to target last season in the red zone. Now Fauria gets pushed down to third on the depth chart as Ebron and Pettigrew battle it out for the top spot as the Lions' starting tight end.
No matter who emerges atop the depth chart, both players will see plenty of snaps on Sunday. New offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has said he plans on using Ebron in a similar role to how the New Orleans Saints used Jimmy Graham. Having spent several years with Graham, Lombardi believes Ebron's athleticism and size is similar to Graham and they could be used in the same way. If this holds true, Ebron will find most of his snaps lining up in the slot or outside. Detroit should use more two-tight end sets, with Pettigrew focused on blocking while Ebron creates a mismatch versus cornerbacks and linebackers.
Ebron's route-running will certainly help him become a more trusted target for Stafford, running clean routes and making the quarterback's job easier by being at the right spot on time. The Lions also won't rely so heavily on a few players, you will see the team spread the ball around more. This gives even more opportunities for Ebron to produce early on, as defenses try to figure out whom to cover.
While Ebron will spend most of his time lining up off the line, he has the size at 6'4" and 250 pounds to turn into a solid blocker. He will need to show more intensity and a lot of time improving his technique and strength so he won't get knocked over by NFL defensive ends. If he can develop as a blocker and limit his drops, the Lions will have added a Vernon Davis clone to their offense.