It’s Sunday and there is NFL football happening. Welcome to Heaven.
While you still have to wait six days to watch God’s favorite team (as Texas Stadium’s hole in the roof so proclaimed) hit the gridiron, today is a tasty treat. Football season is here, but just because the Cowboys aren’t playing doesn’t mean that they’re not on our minds.
The Cowboys have been working towards their Super Bowl LI goals out in Oxnard, and to get to that coveted game in Houston they’ll have to make it through their 2016 schedule. Near the end of it, on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions in their first meeting since the epic 2014 Wild Card Playoff Game that Dallas won. Unfortunately for Detroit, they might not be fully equipped.
Third-year Tight End Eric Ebron suffered what was described as a “devastating” injury to his lower right leg on Saturday. While there are conflicting reports all over the great landscape of the internet, the Lions are concerned that this could be an injury to Ebron’s ACL. The 2014 1st Rounder has been unimpressive in two seasons, catching only 72 passes for 785 yards and 6 touchdowns. Should he miss serious time this season then it would be highly doubtful for Detroit to pick up his fifth-year option next offseason.
Why is this important, RJ? This is Inside The Star. Not Pride Rock where Simba and all them lived.
Yesterday my fellow Staff Writer Jess Haynie pondered a few trade scenarios between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, featuring Ron Leary as the prime piece for us. I connected some dots about Leary to Tennessee on Friday, but today we’re talking about a different player – Gavin Escobar.
Why Escobar? Eric Ebron, of course. In the comments for this post on our Official Inside The Star Facebook Page, loyal Inside The Star reader Zach Moore floated this out as a hypothetical. So here we are!
The Ebron injury, should it be severe like the Lions initially feared, would completely wreck what is an already ravaged depth chart for Detroit at the Tight End position. Brandon Pettigrew tore his ACL late last season so he’s still on the PUP list, and Tim Wright tore his in minicamp so he’s done-zo for this season. If you’re a Detroit Lions Tight End you need to guard your ACL with your life! It sounds like the Lions have a Gavin-Escobar-shaped hole.
The Cowboys have a precariously long line of depth at Tight End:
- Jason Witten, King of all Tight Ends.
- Gavin Escobar, invisible to the Cowboys Coaching Staff.
- James Hanna, who was re-signed this offseason.
- Geoff Swaim, the inspiration for the Swaim Train.
- Rico Gathers, who is literally learning how to play football at a high level.
It’s no secret that Escobar is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Cowboys. Gavin was taken in the 2nd Round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and is (by default) the most productive of the Cowboys recent 2nd Round woes. If they want to keep Swaim or Gathers around, it makes sense to move Escobar (who surprisingly didn’t open up Training Camp on the PUP list himself).
Should the Cowboys call up Detroit and be willing to deal Escobar it would ideally be for a prime pass rusher. Escobar is a starting level Tight End in the NFL for teams who don’t boast a Hall of Famer at the position, and the Lions have already suffered enough losses in terms of aerial weapons with the recent retirement of Calvin Johnson.
The Lions have their own Ezekiel in Ziggy Ansah, and of course he’s off the table. The player the Cowboys should try to procure is Devin Taylor, who is currently expected to start opposite Ansah at Defensive End.
It’s practically a Training Camp tradition for Cowboys-trading-away-one-of-their-Tight-Ends ideas to float around. They’ve never really lacked depth at the position and this is the time of year where people are in need. It remains to be seen if the Cowboys will finally prey on that, like a Lion would!
What do you think of the Cowboys potentially sending Gavin Escobar to the Lions? Let us know! Comment below, Email me at RJ@RJOchoaShow.com, or Tweet to me at @rjochoa!
I would love to see Dallas make that trade but not sure the Lions would part with Taylor. He really came on last season with 4.5 sacks in the last 6 games, and moving into the starting role opposite Ansah. He is also in a contract season and you know if he has a big season he will be looking for his payday. Jerry if you reading this go and make this happen!
Devin Taylor really is coming on strong, but he felt like the most fair trade-off for Gavin (especially given the Lions current need). I especially agree with your point about him being in a contract year, and Gavin is as well. It seems like an equally large risk/investment for both parties. #vamonos
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