The struggling

[hongwei28]

Suddenly Adidas Matt Duchene Jersey , football is fun again for Eric Ebron.

He's smiling and shouting, celebrating scores and making big plays look routine at training camp. Inside the Colts' tight end meeting room, teammates hear him asking questions and offering suggestions, virtually certain Ebron will play a prominent role in Indianapolis' new offense.

It's everything Ebron wanted 鈥?a second chance to showcase his skills and finally live up to the hype surrounding him when he entered the NFL.

My deal is to just take it to the next level," Ebron said shortly after signing with the Colts in free agency. "At this place, I have a new start, I have a new finish. I have a new rep and that alone means a lot."

Ebron thought he could have achieved more in Detroit.

So did the Lions, who drafted the North Carolina product with the No. 10 overall pick in 2014.

They believed the Ebron's 6-foot-4, 253-pound frame and 4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash made him a nightmarish matchup for opponents and figured Ebron could stretch the field down the middle and open up the outside for Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.

Instead, Ebron's reputation was damaged by injuries and a perceived propensity for dropping passes.

He struggled with a pulled hamstring as a rookie, missed two games the next season with a strained knee and three games in 2016 with a bruised knee and sprained ankle. Last year Lions Game Jerseys , he missed most of training camp with a pulled hamstring but finally managed to play in all 16 games for the first time in his career.

Ebron's stats weren't bad once he got started: 47 receptions for 537 yards and five TDs in 2015, 61 catches for 711 yards with one TD in 2016 and 53 catches for 574 yards and four TDs in 2017. They just weren't the mind-blowing numbers everyone anticipated when he was a hot-shot prospect.

So the Lions decided to let a frustrated Ebron test free agency rather than exercise their fifth-year option.

Turns out, a change of scenery could be the perfect remedy to jump start Ebron's career.

Colts tight ends coach Tom Manning convinced Ebron he'd start with a clean slate and a coaching staff that values tight end mismatches. It was an offer too good to pass up.

"Tom had so many little stats and tapes put together and it is about treating him (Ebron) the right way," offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said. "He is a phenomenal talent so we would be foolish not to want him on our team. But it definitely helps having guys that know how to recruit."

The Colts insist Ebron could still become the player the scouts projected.

He's only 25 years old and provides Luck with another critical option alongside Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton and Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle.

And, of course, Ebron took note of just how creative coach Frank Reich was last season as offensive coordinator for Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

He's not lobbying yet to throw a pass to Luck, like tight end Trey Burton did in the Super Bowl 鈥?though nobody would put it past the fun-loving, energetic newcomer.

But he should fit in nicely with a deep positon group that starts with Doyle and includes veteran Erik Swoope and possibly promising youngster Ross Travis, at least until running back Robert Turbin returns from his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

"We really complement each other extremely well, to be honest, more than I even expected as we came in here Nathan Shepherd Color Rush Jersey ," Doyle said. "It's going to be a lot of fun working with him. It's going to be an advantage for us both."

Ebron believes this offense will help him, too, which is why the season-opener, Sept. 9 against Cincinnati, can't come soon enough.

"I just bring a little bit more versatility to the offense and I do a couple things a little bit different (than Doyle)," Ebron said. "Me and Jack are here to work side by side and I think that's going to be something to really watch and something that's exciting that I'm excited for. I'm sure the coaches are, too."

Notes: Doyle (personal reasons) was one of a handful of players who missed Tuesday's practice. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo and Denzelle Good, who is battling to start at right tackle, both sat out for a second straight day with hamstring injuries. ... Also out were rookie defensive end Tyquan Lewis (foot), cornerback Chris Milton (hip), center Deshawn Bond (concussion protocol). Right guard Matt Slauson was given an extra day of rest.

鈥?Lawyers for the NFL urged a federal judge Wednesday to appoint a special investigator to look into what the league said is extensive fraud in claims on the $1 billion concussion settlement.NFL attorneys said a study by the independent auditors in the claims process showed about 440 claims were flagged for denial based on evidence of fraud by attorneys Rashaad Penny Jersey Elite , doctors or former players. Lawyers representing the former players and their estates said most of the opportunity for fraud has been resolved because anyone filing a claim after the settlement’s effective date has to see a neuro-specialist from a list of approved certified physicians.The settlement, which took effect January 2017, resolved thousands of lawsuits that accused the NFL of hiding what it knew about the risks of repeated concussions.It covers retired players who develop Lou Gehrig’s disease, dementia or other neurological problems believed to be caused by concussions suffered during their pro careers, with awards as high as $5 million for the most serious cases.“We are talking about significant evidence of widespread fraud. We’re not talking about a difference in medical opinion,” said NFL attorney Richard Tarlowe.Tarlowe showed evidence in fraud designations against eight doctors, two law firms and a former player. He focused on practices including doctors seeing players for evaluation not in clinical settings, but in hotel rooms, law offices or other places. He also cited a doctor who said she spent seven to 12 hours evaluating each patient, but approved sometimes as many as eight patients a day.“That’s physically impossible based on how long she said it takes,” he said.Three different attorneys who represent dozens of claimants spoke for the former players Wednesday. Two said they objected to the appointment of a special investigator with subpoena power and the ability to compel testimony.They said the current structure is more than adequate for identifying fraud and not paying out claims. They also said the rules that became effective in January 2017 including the approved physicians list will greatly reduce the opportunity for fraudulent claims.League lawyers said investigating the fraud claims has contributed to the slower determinations and awarding of money for legitimate claims. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have said the settlement process is moving too slowly.The claims administrators confirmed Wednesday that more than $300 million has been paid out from about $439 million that has been awarded through the claims process鈥?nearly three times the expected amount for the first year of the settlement.They also said they have the ability to determine if a claim is fraudulent and flag it for denial. The power of a special investigator would be to determine if there was purposeful intent behind the fraudulent claims.Tarlowe said if intent is determined Authentic Logan Woodside Jersey , cases could be referred to the Department of Justice, lawyers and doctors could be turned in to professional ethics panels and lose their ability to practice or other punitive measures might be taken.Judge Anita Brody said she had only seen one case of fraud against a former player out of almost 20,000 possible claimants who registered.“To be clear we are talking mostly about the doctors and lawyers in these cases,” she said. Copyright ©2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed..
_________________
hong wei wei