Think of Eric Ebron as an elaborate, expensive insurance policy.
Then think of Vance McDonald -- and James Conner and Stephon Tuitt, for that matter -- as requiring such policies.
From there, the two-year, $12 million investment the Steelers made yesterday in their new tight end sure makes a lot more sense. Because, as I'd put forth the other day, their 2020 focus should be -- and evidently is -- about being sure that players are available to play. And if one of them happens to be talented but doesn't suit up often enough, find someone else to mitigate that.
Yeah, yeah, I know, Ebron doesn't exactly exude availability. He's missed 13 games over six NFL seasons with a disturbingly broad array of injuries, and he's fresh off the most miserable of those, missing five games in 2019 before being placed on IR in November to get surgery on both ankles.
And that's to say nothing of the Colts sending loud signals they were delighted to be rid of Ebron after doubting the severity of his injuries.
Or that the Colts already had limited him to little more than half their snaps because of his dubious run-blocking.
All that makes McDonald look like Iron Man.
But here's one counter to any doubter:
Yeah, that.
For anyone in the Nation who's forgotten, what's up there is commonly referred to as a receiving touchdown. The Steelers had 18 of those last season, ranking 28th of the league's 32 teams and four off the very bottom. Of those 18, three were by a tight end, all by McDonald.
Scoring touchdowns is a skill, contrary to the way Buddy Ryan once infamously complained upon cutting Cris Carter, a future Hall of Famer: "All he does is catch touchdowns." And it's a skill the Steelers sorely lacked, especially through the air, even setting aside the circumstance of losing their franchise quarterback.
When Ebron's healthy, that's what he does. He had 13 in 2018 with Andrew Luck behind center and, including that season and 2019, he caught nine touchdowns on the 19 times he was targeted once already in the end zone. No one at his position has a greater success rate in that span.
To digress again, though, Ebron's not healthy all that often. And neither are McDonald, Conner and Tuitt. But when all four of these players are in peak form, they're all very good, all difference-makers. So, in lieu of bubble-wrap, the next-best solution would be to reduce snaps through bolstering the supporting cast.
Could Ebron and McDonald battle it out to see who's starter?
Sure. I see that as a whole lot more likely than any two-tight sets. But I could also see a rotation, even alternating with each series, to keep both fresh for route-running and blocking assignments. And from there, with reduced duty would come reduced risk of injury. Theoretically, anyway.
Conner's now virtually certain to get similar push/support from the Steelers' top pick in the draft, and it's safe to say that, while no one would confuse the day's other acquisition, Chris Wormley, with Tuitt, having a capable nose tackle in the mix can lessen the load on the rest of the defensive line.
They're all worth propping up. And it's far more prudent than stuffing all the eggs in their singular baskets.
• Another thing to like about Ebron: Unlike McDonald, he can line up in other spaces, having been a true inline tight end for 102 snaps, in the slot for 152, and even out wide for 69. It's been a long time since Ben Roethlisberger's been able to eyeball a tight end deep down field, and it's going to make him a very happy man.
• Speaking of Joe Thornton ...
A stay-at-home message from @_BigBen7: pic.twitter.com/UTot0ECjjK
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 20, 2020
Hey, whatever floats your quarantine. It's just good to hear from the guy. There'll be time enough later to shave a little.
• As if the world didn't already feel apocalyptic enough, a trade with the Ravens?
Yeah, first one since 1998.
I love that about sports' true rivalries. Nothing, not even a fair return, is worth picturing a hated team succeeding in part because of a mutual transaction.
• Like last year, when the Steelers addressed each specific need through free agency, then doubly attacked the same through the draft, this is shaping up much the same. Dale Lolley's got thoughts on this.
• For the record, the Penguins and Flyers haven't made a meaningful trade since 1992, the mega-exchange that sent Mark Recchi and Brian Benning to Philadelphia for Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget. And of course, later that year, all three of the latter were taking turns skating around with a Stanley Cup that still hasn't been touched by the other side since 1975.
That's why, right there.
• The Pirates have no rivals. That's not a dig. It's a fact. And really, it's been forever since they've had one, probably going all the way back to the Reds and Phillies from the 1970s. Maybe the Mets in the late 1980s, though that was mostly verbal.
If they ever have one again, you'll know they're doing really well.
• Lots of significant talk about actual scheduled doubleheaders -- remember those? -- when Major League Baseball resumes. Which would be neat ... if they're both seven-inning games. Like American Legion ball. It'd be a great excuse to give that a try.
Sorry, not letting this go.
• Really enjoyed hearing from Drew O'Connor, the Penguins' new signee out of Dartmouth, on what drew him to Pittsburgh when all NHL teams are required to offer the same pay to college free agents. And thanks to the Penguins' media relations staff for arranging the call.
• I'm not convinced Pitt's Justin Champagnie is NBA material, but I couldn't be convinced he isn't. He's 6-7, he can do it all, and all he does is progress. Way more relevant, he clearly thinks he is NBA material, per this deep-dive one-on-one by our Hunter Homistek.
• Looking for hope?
In China and South Korea, professional sports are inching toward a return, the former in soccer and the latter in basketball. And preparations continue to move forward toward the Tokyo Olympics. And as everyone knows, the coronavirus' origin point was in the Wuhan province of China, and the other two are nearby nations who were afflicted ... then responded the right way, to borrow a Mike Sullivan term.
We'll get through this. We will.