Golden Tate would look great in a Raiders uniform
The Oakland Raiders have the most money of any team in free agency, and when I look at the most desirable football players in 2014, one player that comes to mind is Golden Tate. The electrifying wide out/return man for the Seahawks has been pretty impressive and Russell Wilson’s main target. Well with Tate becoming a free agent, he could likely hit the waiver wire.
Tate has had 2,195 yards and 15 touchdowns over his career and would be a great fit in Oakland. The Raiders have a few decent receivers but the 5’11, 200 pound Golden Tate could be a huge asset to the team. I don’t honestly believe that Tate will command a huge sum of money, which could be huge in landing him. If Tate does in fact get signed by the Raiders, I would expect them to go after a veteran quarterback like Mark Sanchez or Matt Schaub.
Tate’s career got off to a slow start. He had under 40 catches and 400 yards in his first two years. In year three, he improved with 45 catches for 688 yards, and 7 touchdowns before improving against during his contract year.
Tate does not really jump off the page physically. He does not have blazing speed and is only 5’10.” What makes him an effective receiver? A former running back, he is difficult to bring down once he has the ball in his hands. Pro Football Focus calculated that Tate averaged 7.9 yards after each catch, second best in the league for receivers who played a quarter of their team’s snaps. He’s shifty, adept at making people miss and capable of breaking tackles. He’s also good at locating the ball, adjusting, and coming up with it when contested. He had a 65% catch rate when the ball was thrown to him. He also has good hands and seldom drops one thrown to him.
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