Colts: Free agent Golden Tate wants AFC South rivals to fight over him
By Mike Luciano
The Indianapolis Colts shouldn’t stop looking to add talent just because the preseason is starting to draw closer, as there are several holes on this team that could be fixed quickly. One such player who could be a solid veteran addition to this squad is wide receiver Golden Tate, who remains unemployed at the moment.
Tate is fresh off of a disappointing spell with the New York Giants, as he caught just 84 passes in two seasons as a safety blanket for youngster Daniel Jones. The steep decline in production has contributed to him remaining up for grabs despite plenty of teams in need of a veteran receiver with outside and slot experience.
The former Notre Dame star believes that he is in a position to name which teams he would prefer to play for, and luckily for Frank Reich and the Colts, Indianapolis appears to have made his list of preferred destinations.
Speaking on SiriusXM, the Hendersonville, Tennessee native Tate mentioned the possibility of returning home to the rival Titans next year, but he also mentioned the Colts and Rams as potential landing spots due to his familiarity with quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford.
https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/1407073188568305677
Can Golden Tate still help the Colts?
Tate, who was drafted by the Seahawks and made his name in the league with three 1,000-yard seasons as a member of the Lions, was acquired midseason by Wentz’s Eagles back in 2018. While he never put up gaudy numbers in Philadelphia, he clearly feels some level of comfort with Wentz and/or Reich’s offense.
Tate’s main competition for snaps and targets would be Parris Campbell, whom Indy is counting on to take a big leap forward. Should he once again falter due to health or poor play, Tate should be able to step right in, make difficult catches, and keep the chains moving.
There are some concerns around Tate, as he is coming off arguably the worst season of his career and is clearly on the back-nine. Even with those negatives, if the Colts want to get the ball in the hands of their receivers as quickly as possible, adding a steady hand like Tate could be a worthwhile proposition.
Tate is not going to be the same vertical threat he was in Seattle or the No. 1 wide receiver he was in Detroit, but he can be a capable slot receiver that Wentz already has some familiarity with. Getting Wentz comfortable will determine how high the ceiling is for this club, and Tate might help him hit the ground running.
