Detroit Lions: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

During his time at Notre Dame, Golden Tate was a two-sport athlete that dominated on both the football field and the baseball diamond. While he stopped playing baseball after his sophomore season for the Fighting Irish, he is still playing football today as one of the better all-around wide receivers in the game.

A second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks back in 2010, Tate has put together a solid NFL career, one that has seen him win a Super Bowl with those Seahawks. After a four-year stint with Seattle, Tate signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2014. He had arguably his best season as a pro in his first year in Motown.

In 2014, Tate would make his first, and only, Pro Bowl, hauling in a career-high 99 passes and finishing sixth in the NFL in receiving yards. To say his introduction to Detroit was a success was quite an understatement, as he became a favorite target of star quarterback Matthew Stafford. It would be his first of three 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Lions.

While Tate’s stint in Detroit was only four-and-a-half seasons long, as he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2018 season, he certainly made his mark on the franchise. To go over 1,000 yards in three of his four full seasons is quite an accomplishment. He is currently seventh all-time in receiving yards in team history.

Tate’s 2014 campaign is one of the best of any wide receiver in team history. Folks were surely sad to see him go last season. He was an absolute playmaker during his time in the Motor City, and was definitely worth the money it took to sign him.