The New York Giants are bringing in veteran wide receiver Golden Tate on a multi-year contract in an attempt to offset the vacancy left following the trade of Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants’ receiver corps still needs depth added, but Big Blue is hoping Tate will be able to provide quarterback Eli Manning with a reliable short-target weapon over the middle.
Here are four things to know about the Giants new wide receiver in Tate:
Former 2nd round pick
The veteran Tate entered the league as a second-round pick (No. 60 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame product didn’t start right away, but he eventually carved out a role as a starter in the Seahawks offense by his third season.
Tate would spend the entirety of his rookie contract with the Seahawks before departing for Detroit in free agency. Throughout the first four years of his career with the Seahawks, Tate never reached 1,000 yards in a season.
Signing with the Lions
After his “breakout” year in 2013, Tate signed a five-year deal with the Lions to be an additional piece to the offense behind Calvin Johnson. Tate proved to be a perfect fit with the Lions offense becoming somewhat of a safety valve for Matthew Stafford.
Tate’s game relies on being a quick-passing target and creating offense after the catch. He’s able to use his reliable hands and speed to become a pest of sorts when working over the middle. He’s a solid route runner even at the age of 30.
Fit with the Giants
There is no replacing Odell Beckham Jr. regardless of how many draft picks the Giants add. However, they will be doing their best to make up for his vacancy and while Tate is past his prime, he can still be a reliable target for the veteran Eli Manning.
In an extremely depleted wide receiver corps, Tate will likely join Sterling Shepard in the slot for the majority of his snaps. The Giants should be able to move him all around the formation while being a quick target for Manning, whose arm strength isn’t what it used to be.
Contract details
Tate comes to the Giants on a four-year deal, which might be a bit surprising given that he’s entering his age-31 season. His contract is for $37.5 million with $23 million guaranteed.
Making roughly $9.4 million per year, Tate has the sixth-highest contract on the Giants in annual salary. His guaranteed money is also the fifth-highest on the team being tied with new guard Kevin Zeitler.
