Detroit Lions: Golden Tate trade changes season outlook

The Detroit Lions trade of Golden Tate may put a damper on the prospects for this season. But the plan moving forward is to continue tweaking the roster.

On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions traded wide receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third round pick in the 2019 draft.

This puts a big hole on the offensive side of the ball. But it also leaves a big question mark on the outlook for the rest of this season.

HAPPY DAY FOR A CHICAGO FAN

ESPN’s Michael Wilbon discussed the Detroit trade of Tate on Tuesday’s episode of “Pardon the Interruption” (“Trade Deadline”, 10/30/18). As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, Wilbon was happy to see the Detroit Lions lose Tate. He was also happy that the Green Bay Packers had shipped safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to the Washington Redskins for a fourth round pick. Wilbon described his elation as follows:

"“Because the Lions and the Packers, who are in the midst of a four team division race. They got rid of people who can help them now, all because they’re worried about the payroll structure for next year. This seems unbelievably arrogant to me.”"

It is the last sentence about being “arrogant” that makes the trade difficult to accept. It could be read as a pompous move to give up a guy like Tate when you are halfway through the season and still within reach of winning the division.

The hardest part of the trade is what will be missed. Golden was great on the field, basically outplaying his contract. And he was an unquestioned leader in the locker room for this team. Tate was a class act, and he will truly be missed. Could his absence mean that this season is lost?

Wilbon with one final gasp on the segment had this to say: “Oh happy day. Packers and Lions, what are you doing?”

To be fair to the Detroit Lions and general manager Bob Quinn, there really is an upside to this trade.

HAPPY DAY FOR DETROIT FANS

The fact is that the Detroit Lions were not re-signing Tate, either because the price would be too steep, or because they are worried about diminishing returns due to age (31 next season). Or maybe even a little bit of both.

A third round pick can mean acquiring another piece for this roster. The holes in the Detroit defense are plentiful. This pick could be used to get another starter, or it could be used as ammunition to move up in the draft. Either way, the Detroit Lions need to keep getting younger pieces and more depth.

So, it looks like the smart move by Quinn to move forward without Tate, especially with good compensation to do so. And there are guys on this roster that are worth a look at Golden’s now-vacated slot position.

TWO FIGHTING IRISH

Tate went to college at Notre Dame, and both of his best replacements are also former players for the Fighting Irish. First up, and the most obvious, is wide receiver T.J. Jones. Jones has shown plenty of flashes in his career. He has a knack for making big catches in key situations, which isn’t always easy when your chances are limited.

This is a great opportunity for Jones to get on the field more. Last week against the Seattle Seahawks, Jones was a healthy scratch. He should most definitely be playing this week, and has the proper build and speed for playing the slot position.

The other guy that would be great to use in the slot is running back Theo Riddick. Theo has missed the last two games with a knee injury, but when healthy he is a terrific offensive weapon. Obviously playing the slot will be an adjustment, but Riddick is an excellent receiver. He is also a match-up nightmare.

Getting Riddick on the field more can only be a good thing for the Detroit Lions. Plus, if Riddick plays the slot, then running backs Kerryon Johnson and LeGarrette Blount can be on the field more as well. Again, a good thing because it means having more of your best weapons on the field.

The Detroit Lions are faced with an opportunity to look at more options on offense for the last half of this season. They should take this opportunity and “run” with it. Run is in quotations because this team is inconsistent with their commitment to running the football. Maybe one less big talent at receiver will mean more run plays? Doubtful, but it would be nice.

The Tate trade looks pretty balanced as of today. All that was lost was having Golden for the last nine games this season. Getting a pick in exchange for what amounts to a rental for the Eagles seems like a pretty sweet deal.

And turning that pick into another productive player would clearly mean the trade was in Detroit’s favor. But that’s the tricky part. You have to make the right pick. It’s all up to Quinn to make this move worthwhile.