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:
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