Indianapolis -- Eric Ebron saw nearly all of his numbers double from his rookie season in 2014 to last season. He finished 2015 with a respectable 47 catches for 537 yards and five touchdowns.
If he can double his numbers once again in year three, and be among the top pass catchers and playmakers at the position, he'll have shown Quinn and the Lions he was worthy of the No. 10 overall pick in 2014.
"Eric has a unique skillset," Quinn said. "He's really an explosive player. He has really good speed. He was a very productive player in college.
"I think he did show improvement from year one to two, which is really what you want to see from a player."
Quinn made the point that the transition from year one to two is "huge," but the progression from year two to three is the next benchmark front office personnel and coaches really want to see.
"By year three you know what you have," he said. "So I'm really looking forward to Eric in the offseason program, OTAs and training camp to kind of see that progression. It's a crucial position, and we're going to use the tight end as much as we can."
That will most certainly be the case if Calvin Johnson retires this offseason. If Megatron hangs up his cleats, the team will rely on Golden Tate, Theo Riddick, Eric Ebron and any other possible pass-catching additions to pick up the slack in a big way.
