Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made their biggest splash of the off-season by signing tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year $12 million deal, stealing him away from another AFC opponent in the Indianapolis Colts. That move did wonders for this football team last year and it showed. That elite tight end presence was something that this team had been missing out on in years past and was something that the team obviously put on the top of their priority list for this offense. In doing so, Ebron returned the favor by putting up respectable statistics throughout the 2020 season. He and Ben Roethlisberger's connection was one that took a little time to develop, but when it was time, Ebron came through.
In 15 games in the black and gold, Ebron was targeted 91 times, catching 56 receptions for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns. He proved to be a valuable target not only in the red zone, but in the open field as well. He flashed his playmaking abilities after the catch was made and proved to be a reliable target for the passing game throughout the season. Ebron's only struggle throughout his career has been taking care of the football, something that he improved on in 2020, but still left some room to grow in this area for the upcoming season. I think all of Steeler Nation would love to see Ebron produce at a more efficient rate on a more consistent level, but for his first season in Pittsburgh, I would call the signing a success.
That being said, there is not much depth to this position much past Ebron himself. With Vance McDonald announcing his retirement after the 2020 season, the Steelers are left with minimal talent at the tight end position. Right now on the depth chart, listed is Ebron as the starter, followed by 3rd year TE Zach Gentry, Charles Clifford-Jones, Dax Raymond and Kevin Radar. Obviously, these are guys who are not household names, but all four haven't gotten enough playing time to really gauge how each individual's talents would translate to the NFL. Who's to say these guys won't get their fair shot?
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Gentry, was a 5th round draft pick back in 2019 out of the University of Michigan. Gentry was an intriguing pick standing at 6'8", 265 pounds, the perfect body type for a tight end. Speaking for myself, when he was drafted, I did expect to see more of Gentry the past couple of seasons then what we have so far. He has only been active and played in a total of 5 games throughout his career, with very minimal stats to back up his play. That's not to say there aren't opportunities available, with Mcdonald's retirement, there is an opening as the #2 tight end, and so far, as I sit here writing this today, it looks like Gentry might be the frontrunner to take that spot.
There is not much to go off of in regards to Clifford-Jones, Raymond and Radar. All three have been with the team's practice squad and have had the time to familiarize themselves with the playbook. That in itself goes a long way in determining whether or not a player stays on the roster when the competition opens up during OTA's. Whether or not that competition will be with the guys the Steelers have in house already, or with players they intend to bring in from outside the organization at this point in time is still left up in the air. Many free agents have already found their football homes for the upcoming year including guys who sat atop the free agent tight end list, so it might be safe to say that the free agent avenue is closed.
That still leaves the draft process as the prime time to go after a player to fill the role in 2021. The team's plans offensively have been kept quiet, due to the hire of new offensive coordinator Matt Canada, so all of Steeler Nation can only predict what they expect this 2021 Steelers offense to look like. With many teams transitioning to more two tight ends sets, I do think it is safe to say that the Steelers will address this need in some way during this off-season.
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The Steelers themselves have already concluded meetings with many top TE prospects with a month still left to go in the draft process. With other positions of need being atop the Steelers list that serve as a higher priority, this won't be something they address early in the draft. Although, I do think they will attempt to go after prospects with a late to mid round pick on a guy who they think will fit their system well, but these questions will be answered just a few short weeks from now.
Let us hear what you think down below!
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