The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t played like Super Bowl Champions this season. They hope the acquisition of Golden Tate can change that.
Anyone who has watched the Eagles play this season can clearly see they are a team that’s needed a spark. It’s very possible trading for an offensive weapon like Golden Tate could be just what’s required to ignite the Philadelphia offense.
From the Lions’ perspective, this is a perfect example of getting what you can for a player before he leaves in free agency. The 30-year-old wideout will be looking for a big money contract this offseason and it’s highly unlikely Detroit was going to give him one. They’re pretty well stocked at wide receiver with Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay. Spending big money on an aging wideout just doesn’t seem like a Matt Patricia-type move.
As such, Carson Wentz gets a wide receiver who’s capable of torturing defenses with yards after the catch. He should be an excellent complement to Alshon Jeffery. The question, as always, is whether or not the Eagles paid too much.
Eagles Get
Golden Tate
Lions Get
3rd round pick
Eagles
It’s easy to see why Doug Pederson wanted to secure an upgrade over Jordan Matthews in the starting lineup. Tate might not be a long-term solution for the franchise, but he clearly gives them a massive upgrade for the rest of 2018.
Our biggest question here is whether or not he’s the right offensive upgrade for Philadelphia. Running back looks like a bigger position of need than wide receiver. It’s very possible the Eagles could have secured Le’Veon Bell with a third round pick. He would certainly have given them more value this season than Tate.
As such, we like the move, but we don’t love it. Eagles fans will see a more dangerous offense down the stretch, but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Grade: B-
Lions
This move is a little surprising from Detroit. At 3-4, they’ve clearly underachieved to start the season, but they’re only one game behind the Bears for the NFC North lead. We’re torn between crediting the Lions for understanding where they stand or criticizing them for a lack of self-belief.
From a value perspective, this deal does make a lot of sense. Getting a third rounder for a player who was going to walk in free agency should help Patricia and company rebuild the team on the fly. They hit on Kerryon Johnson in last year’s draft, it’s very possible they can add some more impact players in April. That’s the plan for the Lions anyway.
Similar to how we feel about the deal for Philadelphia, we like it, but don’t love it for the Lions. Credit them for winning this deal, but not by a very wide margin.