ESPN Hilariously Names Eric Ebron Steelers Worst Free Agent Signing Since 2018 Over Several Bigger Mistakes

There's no doubt that no team, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, is perfect when it comes to evaluating talent and going after players in both free agency and the NFL Draft. As we prepare to enter one of the most important parts of the 2023 offseason, it's never a bad idea to look back at the past and try to examine what went right and more importantly, wrong when it came to the black and gold. 

ESPN recently put something out regarding NFL teams' best and worst free agent signings since 2018 and it doesn't seem all that correct when it comes to Pittsburgh, to say the least.

It started with naming current center, Mason Cole as the best external signing in the last five years. Cole had a solid first season in Pittsburgh and there isn't necessarily an issue putting him at the top of the list, even though right guard, James Daniels probably deserves the honors. 

Pittsburgh's portion of the article was contributed to by Brooke Pryor, who covers the Steelers for ESPN and does a great job at doing so. However, Pryor was way off when it came to naming the organization's worst free agent signing since 2018. In the reporter's opinion, it's former tight end, Eric Ebron. 

Part of the analysis focused on his two-year, $12 million contract, as well as inconsistency with catching passes and blocking combined, not to mention the emergence of Pat Freiermuth.

"[Ebron] was quickly eclipsed by 2021 second-round tight end Pat Freiermuth. Not only did Ebron finish his final season in Pittsburgh on IR after sustaining a knee injury scoring his lone touchdown of the year, he finished with 12 catches and 84 yards."

Was Ebron a home run? Absolutely not. He had an injury that hurt the team in 2021, but let's take a look at a couple of other names since 2018 (in no particular order) that are far worse and shouldn't have even had Ebron crossing anyone's mind.

1.) Jon Bostic - Linebacker

Pittsburgh signed Bostic to a two-year deal in 2018 and ended up releasing him after just one season. He was wildly inconsistent throughout his only season and was an example of the team's unwillingness to go after a bigger name. He wasn't a huge cap casualty, but an absolute waste of a signing given his ineffectiveness during a season the team didn't make the playoffs.

2.) Donte Moncrief - Wide Receiver

Remember this guy? The Steelers signed Moncrief to a two-year, $9 million contract during 2019 free agency and he was released come November of his first season. At least Ebron was on the roster for two years and had an impact his first year with the team. This far outweighs the mistake of signing Ebron.

3.) Mark Barron - Linebacker

Starting just nine games in 2019, Barron was released before he could play in the second year of his deal that originally was worth $12 million. It was another poor signing that should heavily overlook bringing the former tight end on board who did in fact last on the roster for two seasons, despite his injuries in year two.

4.) Morgan Burnett - Safety

Burnett signed a three-year, $14.4 million deal with the Steelers in 2018, the same year Ebron was brought in. He played in only 11 games, starting two and provided no real value in his first season with the franchise. He was then released the next offseason. He went on to sign with the Cleveland Browns in 2019, played eight games and never ended on an NFL roster again.

Steelers Have Had Much Worse Free Agent Signings Than Ebron Since 2018

Ebron caught five touchdown passes his first season after signing with Pittsburgh. There is no doubt the former free agent additions above did much less to contribute to the success of the franchise during their short tenures. It's impossible to rank the former tight end at the top of this list.