Detroit Lions: Why Golden Tate deserves a golden contract
By James Greene
After three seasons of quality play, here’s why I think the Detroit Lions should give wide receiver Golden Tate a golden contract extension.
It’s early June and for professional football that means vacations. But training camp is just a month away. And with the start of NFL training camps, there’s always threat of holdouts.
In the past couple of years we’ve seen big name players hold out of camp to send a message to the front office. For the Detroit Lions, wide receiver Golden Tate hasn’t threatened to holdout. But Tate certainly voiced his feelings.
Tate, unarguably the Lions best receiving threat, has been in Detroit since 2014. And now he’s ready to get paid.
"“Statistically and looking at some of those who have been paid in the past, yes,” Tate told CBS Detroit on Tuesday. “But that’s the contract I signed. I signed a deal coming off four years ago and I’m gonna try to play that out the best I can and help this team win.”"
The biggest factor in contract disputes comes down to leverage and who has it. Let’s look at the facts.
Since joining the Lions, Tate not only has caught 90 or more passes every year, but he is also the league’s leader in yards after catch with over 1,800 yards. In the last three seasons alone he ranks tenth in the NFL in receiving yards and sixth in receptions.
Tate is scheduled to make $13 million over the next two seasons if his contract isn’t changed. Bottom line, on a team with a gunslinger like Matthew Stafford at quarterback, Golden is the only consistent receiving option the Lions have had since Calvin Johnson called it quits.
According to OverTheCap,com, the Lions’ have nearly $6 million in salary cap space. But Detroit’s front office definitely needs to be smart about how they manage it.
The Lions are in a better place than a lot of teams talent-wise, making the playoffs twice in the last four years. However, they haven’t produced a real NFC division contending team in that span. It goes back to the old saying “good but not good enough”.
With Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the same division, the Lions need to make steps to take control of the conference. The Lions entered free agency with more than $30 million to spend, and used a good portion of it to address its offensive line problems. Detroit drafted some offensive help in belief of upside but currently have nobody whose even close to Tate talent-wise.
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In my opinion now is the time to take care of Golden Tate, who was taken care of business on the field since joining the Detroit Lions three years ago. Especially considering Tate’s production and the fact he was able to voice his feelings professionally and without causing distraction.