The loss of Rob Gronkowski proved to be too much for the New England Patriots to overcome this past season.
Sure, it may have been different if the Patriots had some semblance of a receiving corps outside of Julian Edelman, but the lack of a consistent threat at tight end doomed New England in the playoffs.
For that reason, you can bet that tight end will be one of the Pats' primary areas of focus this offseason.
One potential free-agent target is Eric Ebron.
Ebron has spent the last couple of seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and is coming off of a 2019 campaign in which he played just 11 games before undergoing surgery on both of his ankles.
During the time he was on the field, he logged 31 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns, which paled in comparison to his breakout 2018 season in which he hauled in 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 scores.
So, why should the Patriots pursue Ebron?
Well, for starters, he will probably come cheaper than some other tight ends on the market (e.g. Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry), and while New England has a decent amount of cap room, it doesn't have exactly have a ton.
Rather than splurge on someone like Hooper, the Pats can go with a cheaper option in Ebron, who may very well end up giving them similar production to what Henry would.
Also, Ebron has a track record of being a productive player.
He spent his first four seasons with the Detroit Lions, and in his final three years in the Motor City, Ebron registered catch totals of 47, 61 and 53, respectively.
His monster 2018 campaign with the Colts may have been a bit of an anomaly, but it's clear that the potential is there.
Now, for the cons.
First of all, we don't know how healthy Ebron is going to be in 2020. It's entirely possible that these ankle issues won't be that big of a deal, but dual surgery is never a good thing.
If Ebron is compromised in any way heading into next season, he carries the possibility of not being worth the first year of his deal, at minimum.
Of course, the Patriots could always just sign him to a one-year prove-it deal to avoid any mess in the future, but then you run the risk of another club offering Ebron a multi-year deal (and someone probably will).
Another problem with Ebron is his lack of consistency.
Yes, he put up numbers in Detroit, but he was frequently booed by Lions fans for dropping passes, and those struggles resurfaced in Indianapolis this past season.
So even if Ebron is talented, he is a risk, both in terms of his health and his rather questionable hands.
Regardless, Ebron is far better than anything else New England fielded at tight end in 2019, and his production would be a godsend to a passing game that is in desperate need of a boost.
There may be better, safer options on the free-agent market, but Ebron is definitely a player the Pats should consider.
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