NFL Trade Deadline: Golden Tate gives Philadelphia Eagles huge boost
By Randy Gurzi
The Philadelphia Eagles made a move at the 2018 NFL Trade Deadline by adding wide receiver Golden Tate, and he will give their offense a huge boost
The defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles just got a lot better on offense. After eight weeks of playing below their expectations on offense, the champs landed wide receiver Golden Tate at the NFL trade deadline.
Philly was hoping the return to health for quarterback Carson Wentz would mean their offense would catch fire, but that hasn’t been the case. They entered their bye week as the No. 21 team in the league in scoring (22.2 points per game) and middle of the pack in passing yardage — ranked No. 16 with 260.2 points per game.
They now should have no problem seeing an increase in both these areas. In exchange for a third-round pick, the Eagles land a player who has been nearly impossible to cover since joining the Detroit Lions.
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Tate joined Detroit in 2014 and in his first five seasons he has recorded a minimum of 90 receptions while topping the 1,000-yard mark in four of those years. In 2018, he has 44 receptions and 517 yards in just seven games.
An incredibly underrated receiver, Tate excels in every facet of the game. He runs great routes, hardly drops any passes, and moves like a running back once the ball is in his hands.
At 30 years of age, the Lions decided it was best to get what they could for him now as Tate enters free agency in the offseason. It would seem likely the Eagles would try and work out an extension for Tate, but even if he is just a second-half rental, Tate’s addition could make their passing games one of the best in the league.
This is the second season in a row that the Eagles made a splash for a mid-round pick. In 2017, they added running back Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a fourth-round selection. That move paid off and helped them become a more balanced offense en route to their first-ever title.
Next. Demaryius Thomas heading to Houston. dark
The Eagles next play in Week 10 on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. Earlier this season against Dallas, Tate had eight catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.