Eric Ebron and Darren Fells are now part of Detroit Lions history, which begs the question, who is playing tight end for the Lions in 2018? With NFL free agency officially opening today, several teams aren’t wasting any time signing and releasing players. While Lions fans are eagerly waiting to see which players Detroit may add to the 2018 roster, two key offensive players are now heading out of town.

Ebron released

The minute Eric Ebron’s name was called at the 2014 NFL Draft, Lions fans have been waiting for something great to happen. It didn’t.

The Lions have parted ways with the 10th selection overall from 2014, and now the search will begin to fill the void. Ebron was a tough player to figure out, but in the end, it seems the Lions believed they had seen enough of the former North Carolina Tar Heel. At 6’4, 250 lbs, Ebron was a huge target and an imposing figure for defenses to deal with. Unfortunately, in the end, Ebron didn’t live up to the high expectations Jim Caldwell’s coaching staff believed he would.

The biggest knock on Ebron was his inefficiency in the blocking game and his many dropped passes that most likely led to this decision. SB Nation reports that Ebron’s catch rate went down from 71.8 to 61.6 percent last fall. That is not good enough when you are a starter in the NFL who is scheduled to make nearly $9 million this upcoming season.

One wild theory already surfacing is that the Lions are trying to create more salary cap room to bring back the recently released Ndamukong Suh. Nevertheless, the search for a new tight end will begin as early as tonight for the Lions.

Last season Ebron caught 53 passes for 574 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Fells to Browns

On the heels of Ebron being released, the Lions are losing a player many fans thought would be a key part of Detroit's offense in 2018 in Darren Fells.

According to Freep.com, Fells agreed to a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns that he's expected to sign as soon as the free agency period opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Fells' deal could be worth up to $12 million, according to NFL Network.

Will the Lions go after a tight end in free agency, wait until the NFL Draft this April, or make a trade down the line?

That is anyone's guess at the moment. Over 30 tight ends are on the market looking for a new home, including Jimmy Graham, Tyler Eifert, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Trey Burton, Ben Watson, Luke Wilson and Martellus Bennett. Any of those guys would work just fine.
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