Golden Tate hoping to pick up where he left off
The Seattle Seahawks made a bold move to become more explosive in the passing game with the addition of Percy Harvin in a big trade.
But a player they’ve envisioned being a major component of the passing game began to take flight in the second half of last season. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times has a solid story on the emergence of Golden Tate, the team’s second-round pick in 2010, during the 7-1 hot streak the team had to finish the season.
Tate, who finished with a career-high 45 receptions for the season, made 32 of those catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns in the final eight games. As rookie quarterback Russell Wilson got into a groove, so did Tate, who made 10 more grabs in the club’s two postseason games.
“When I first heard (of the Harvin trade), I hadn’t spoken to any of the coaching staff or the (general manager) or the owner or anybody, so I didn’t really know what to think at that time,” Tate said. “But shortly after, speaking to (coach) Pete (Carroll) and (GM) John (Schneider), they explained it to me that it shouldn’t affect me much.”
The Seahawks plan to use Harvin in the slot and keep Tate outside, which is where he began to produce last season. With Sidney Rice also in the mix (and Rice also came on in the final eight games last year), the offense could transition some in Wilson’s second year.
Tate is entering the final season of his contract and if he does well, he will position himself for big things ahead.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune
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This story originally appeared on Nationalfootballpost.com
