Detroit Lions: 5 low-budget WR’s to target in free agency
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Lions need to consider a reunion with Golden Tate.
The New York Giants recently released former Lions’ receiver, Golden Tate. Tate is expected to be many veteran players to find themselves searching for a new paycheck due to the decreasing salary cap. It’s just one of many COVID-19 related challenges the NFL, and all sports leagues, for that matter, not being able to have fans in the stands.
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Tate enjoyed a plethora of success in a Lions’ uniform, playing opposite Calvin Johnson and with Matthew Stafford delivering the football.
Throughout his 11-year career, Tate has reached the 1,000-yard receiving plateau three times, all of which came as a member of the Detroit Lions. Tate also reached his lone Pro Bowl birth behind his remarkable 2014 season, where he caught 99 passes and totaled a career-high 1,331 yards and four touchdowns.
Since leaving the Lions, Tate’s production has slowly dwindled year-after-year, but he can still be a reliable slot possession pass-catcher. I don’t expect many organizations to offer up a multi-year contract for a receiver that turns 33-years old this summer after seeing a steady decline.
Also, don’t be surprised to see Tate seeking a reunion with Stafford rather than the Lions, knowing how productive the two had been together in the past. The Rams may be able to land Tate on the cheap end of the spectrum, and he’d become a quality replacement to Josh Reynolds, who I mentioned earlier in the article.
Tate is coming off a 35 catch, 388-yard season, but proved he still has those sticky hands operating with a 67% catch rate.
The Detroit Lions should make an effort to sign Tate to replace Danny Amendola for the 2021 season. Tate is coming off a deal that was supposed to take him through the 2022 season and average nearly $10 million per season.
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He will take his $4.7 million signing bonus for 2021 and likely pair that with a one-year deal worth somewhere around $3 million and still have himself a very profitable payday this season.