The Colts are hoping that Eric Ebron can do more than what he's show so far in his short NFL career.
The 24-year old was the tenth overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft, but had a mostly underwhelming four years in Detroit, where his average production didn't meet the investment the Lions put in him. It didn't help that Taylor Lewan (11th), Odell Beckham Jr. (12th) and Aaron Donald (13th) went in the three picks after Ebron, and all three have already made multiple Pro Bowls.
Ebron had his best season in 2016, where he set career-highs in catches (61) and yards (711) despite missing three games due to injury. However, the polarizing tight end has built a reputation for dropping passes, and has never been quite able to capitalize on his elite athleticism.
This move makes sense for the Colts as they're buying low on a young player (he'll be 25 when the season starts) who still has some upside, and they're not relying on him to be their #1 guy. With Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope already in the fray, it appears that tight end is one of the few spots on the Colts' depth chart that looks pretty set for the 2018 season.