NFL Free Agency 2019: Predicting the New York Jets biggest moves
By Randy Gurzi
2. A new receiver comes to town in Golden Tate
Another position of great need for the Jets is wide receiver. They have some solid options here with Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa, but they don’t have that go-to guy who can line up as a No. 1 guy and draw the attention of the entire defense. That’s what Golden Tate can do and he’s about to hit the open market.
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A former second-round pick out of Notre Dame, Tate played well for the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-2013. Then he joined the Detroit Lions and became a star. In his first season with the Lions, he recorded 1,331 yards and had two more campaigns with more than 1,000-yards receiving.
He was on pace to top that mark again in 2018 as he had 44 receptions for 517 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. Then he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick and struggled to get acclimated. Tate ended up with just 278 yards in eight games with Philly, but that’s not expected to hurt his price in free agency.
Currently, he’s looking for the kind of money Jarvis Landry got from the Cleveland Browns, which is roughly $16 million per season. The Jets may not offer him that much, but they should come closer to those demands than any other team considering their cap situation and need at the position. It would be a great fit as he’s exactly the type of player Darnold needs to have at his disposal.