One week after the Detroit Lions acquired ‘Snacks’ Harrison they traded away Golden Tate. Has the Loss to Seattle caused them to give up on this season?
Just a handful of days ago I portrayed the Detroit Lions as a franchise being run like a contender would be. Now still fresh in the aftermath of the Golden Tate trade, fans are wondering how I could have ever proposed such a thought.
In order to come to grips with exactly what has happened and where this franchise stands in their ability to be contenders, we will need not only break down the last week but the history of Lions management.
I had mentioned in my article on Sunday that over the years contenders have made moves to improve their franchises while the Lions ‘watched from the sidelines with confusion’.
Right now fans are in an uproar about the Golden Tate trade and the fact that it doesn’t improve them. At least not for this season.
To that, I point I agree with them.
I was already on record as having said I would like to see the Lions re-sign Tate, if at all possible, to a reasonable contract.
Yet if we’re being honest with each other, that wasn’t going to happen.
Golden Tate, even at age 30, is a game changer. His ability to get yards after the catch is phenomenal. He isn’t slowing down like players at his age usually do because he’s always been quicker than he is fast.
Therein lies his ability to make plays week after week and year after year without showing the signs of age. He’s like a modern day Methuselah. And he will definitely give the Philadelphia Eagles offense a weapon they don’t currently have.
Conversely, the Lions will lose a locker room leader and player that showed up every week ready to play and never gave less than 100% of his effort. Not to mention an incredibly popular player among the fan base.
The Lions offense will miss him without question, but they would eventually miss him next year anyway, right?