Free agency worked out well for Golden Tate this year. He landed a five-year, $31 million contract with the Lions, and he’s playing well for a good team in Detroit. But that doesn’t mean Tate enjoyed the process of free agency eight months ago.
Tate told the Detroit Free Press that the Seahawks low-balled him when he talked to them about staying in Seattle, and that the only other teams that contacted him at all, the Jets and Jaguars, showed mild interest. Only the Lions gave him an offer that was in the ballpark he was expecting, and Tate was hurt by that.
“I’m not going to lie, I thought I’d be a hot commodity,” Tate said. “It got closer and I thought I was going to have seven or eight teams wanting me. Wasn’t the case at all, which is OK. I guess all you need is one team to really love you.”
Tate said he believes teams were cautious about spending money on free agent receivers because this year’s draft class had good receivers that teams could add for a lot less money.
“I think we had five or six, seven top receivers in this class, so there was no need to go pay a lot of money when you can go get a rookie for pennies, I guess, relatively speaking,” Tate said. “But I’m here, I’m wanted here, we’re sitting 7-2 and I’m playing decent football.”
Despite the snub this offseason, Tate said he has no hard feelings toward the Seahawks and is rooting for them. He even wonders if he might get to see his old teammates in the playoffs.
“Fate will unwind as it must, my English teacher told me,” Tate said. “I think it’s Beowulf. So we’ll see.”
Tate appeared on PFT Live this week and discussed his transition to Detroit. It’s been a very successful transition: Tate never reached 900 receiving yards in a season in four seasons with the Sehawks, but he already has 909 in nine games with the Lions. And Tate never had 130 receiving yards in a game in four seasons with the Seahawks, but he has topped 130 receiving yards in three of his last five games.
