Ebron caught all four of his targets for 16 yards in Monday night's 20-19 loss to the Ravens in the second preseason game.

EDGE Analysis

Ebron split his receptions between starting quarterback Andrew Luck and backup Jacoby Brissett, catching two passes from both signal-callers. While fellow tight end Jack Doyle went for 32 yards on his two grabs, coach Frank Reich's offense leaves ample room for multiple players to make an impact at the position. Now, Ebron will just hope to find more room to run after the catch in Indianapolis' upcoming games.

Ebron (ankle) returned to practice Friday, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ebron had been sidelined the past few days with an ankle injury, but he's returning just in time to make an appearance Monday against the Ravens. Although Andrew Luck didn't look his way in the Colts' preseason opener, Ebron still has plenty of time to demonstrate a rapport with the quarterback. Still, Ebron will have to contend with Jack Doyle for reps, making the situation one to watch as the season draws closer.

Ebron did not have a reception and was not targeted in Thursday's preseason win at Seattle. However, he did work with the first-team offense as the No. 2 tight end. However, he's been heavily targeted in training camp according to Stephen Holder of The Indianapolis Star.

EDGE Analysis

We wouldn't read too much into the first preseason game as Ebron is a veteran who was signed to a two-year, $13 million contract. His spot on the offense is likely secure and his role may not emerge until the regular season. He has upside with Andrew Luck healthy as he could emerge as one of the top few receiving options amid an inexperienced receiving corps.

Ebron was moved out wide on occasion during Wednesday's OTA session, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

Keefer suggested that Ebron's presence outside could become a consistent part of the offense in 2018. It wouldn't be too surprising given Ebron's proficiency as a pass-catcher, with Jack Doyle also on the roster to serve as the in-line tight end. Despite showing some promise at different points in his career, the 25-year-old tight end has yet to put it together completely. The Colts are hoping a change of scenery and game plan will unlock some of his potential.

Ebron said Andrew Luck (shoulder) is the reason he signed with the Colts, as the tight end wanted to play with a quarterback who could get him the ball, Bob Kravitz of WTHR reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ebron oddly seems to be taking a bit of a shot at Matthew Stafford, who completed 66.1 percent of his passes while tossing 85 touchdowns and 33 interceptions the past three seasons. Regardless of his judgement on quarterbacks, Ebron is one of the better athletes at his own position and will be celebrating his 25th birthday Tuesday. The Colts are betting he has untapped upside, after signing him to a two-year, $13 million contract that includes $6 million guaranteed, per OverTheCap. It isn't a huge risk for a team with a plethora of cap space, as Ebron's deal lacks any guarantees beyond 2018. He'll team up with Jack Doyle in an offense that figures to make heavy use of two-TE formations in an attempt to mask potential deficiencies at running back and wide receiver. Ebron reported to the team Monday for the start of the voluntary offseason program, where he'll pick up his playbook from a staff led by head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. Meanwhile, Luck still hasn't begun throwing footballs and may be limited all spring, but he remains optimistic he'll enter training camp without limitations.

The Colts and Ebron reached agreement on a two-year contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Selected 10th overall by the Lions in the 2014 draft, Ebron was unable to uphold lofty expectations, despite earning at least 52 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last three seasons. If one cherry picks his best marks in each category, the line reads 61 catches (in 2016) on 86 targets (2017) for 711 yards (2016) and five touchdowns (2015). Overall, he averaged just 7.2 YPT and caught a TD every 16.9 receptions as a Lion, but working in his favor with the Colts will be the attention paid by defenses to No. 1 tight end Jack Doyle. If Andrew Luck (shoulder) is able to play a majority of the upcoming campaign, Ebron could benefit further in weekly box scores.

Ebron completed a visit with the Panthers and is visiting the Colts on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Released by the Lions last week, Ebron instantly became one of the top tight ends on the market, but his first two visits suggest he nonetheless may end up settling for a No. 2 role. He'd slot in behind Jack Doyle in Indianapolis or Greg Olsen in Carolina, though both teams are rather fond of two-TE formations, in part because they don't have much talent at wide receiver. The 2014 first-round pick will celebrate his 25th birthday in April.

The Lions released Ebron on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Unable to find a trade, the Lions released Ebron an hour before his $8.25 million fifth-year option salary was set to become guaranteed. He'll hit the open market coming off a strong run to close out 2017, though even the hot streak wasn't enough to make his year-long stat line look good. He caught 53 of 86 targets for 574 yards (6.7 YPT) and four touchdowns, failing to build on a 2016 campaign in which he had 711 receiving yards in 13 games. The 10th overall pick from the 2014 draft figures to draw interest from multiple franchises, though a few have already filled their openings at tight end. Ebron, Tyler Eifert and Austin Seferian-Jenkins appear to be the top fall-back options for teams that missed out on Jimmy Graham (Packers) and Trey Burton (Bears).

Ebron has been told that the Lions are open to trading him, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ebron is under contract for 2018 at the fifth-year option salary of $8.25 million, a figure that likely would limit trade compensation to a middle- or late-round draft pick. He cut down on drops last season and enjoyed a stretch of six straight games with four or more catches for 33 or more yards late in the year, and yet still finished the campaign with only 53 catches for 574 yards (6.7 YPT) and four touchdowns on 86 targets. The 10th overall pick from the 2014 draft has mostly been a disappointment, and while the Lions seemingly don't plan to cut him loose, they might happily settle for modest compensation. 2017 fourth-round pick Michael Roberts could help fill the void, along with some form of addition via free agency and/or the draft. With Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay and Theo Riddick still under contract, the Lions can probably get by just fine without a major pass-catching threat at tight end.

Ebron was the subject of trade talks at the NFL Scouting Combine, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said Ebron would be retained at his fifth-year option salary of $8.25 million, but that doesn't mean the team won't listen to trade offers. While he's never quite been able to meet expectations, the 2014 first-round pick enjoyed perhaps the best stretch of his career in November and December last season, at one point recording six straight games with four or more catches for 33 or more yards. Perhaps even more encouraging, he was officially credited with only three drops on 86 targets, displayed major improvement in an area that had widely been viewed as his biggest weakness. Ebron nonetheless finished the year with only 53 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns on 86 targets (6.7 YPT) -- numbers that make it tough to justify trading anything more than a late-round pick for a player with such a significant cap hit. Ebron will turn 25 in April and still seems most likely to stay with Detroit for at least one more year.