DavidSeven
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There's a very good article up at FieldGulls centered around Golden Tate. Just wanted to chip in some additional commentary.
I think one of the biggest storylines to watch throughout this season is how valuable Tate shows himself to be with another elite tackle-breaker in Percy Harvin added to the mix. There seems to be a feeling out there among Hawk fans that the addition of Harvin makes Tate sort of redundant, but I actually think people are too hung up on their similarities in size and elusiveness. I remember during the press conference for Harvin's signing, Pete Carroll specifically said he didn't view the two as the same type of players when they were initially scouting Tate.
The first and most obvious difference is that Tate, while having the stature of a slot receiver, actually excels on the outside while Harvin has been most effective playing from the inside. FieldGulls:
Another good bit from the article is their summary of what the top four receivers bring to the table. Some folks seem pretty obsessed with identifying the "odd man out" in this group, but I think each has something very important to add to this offense for 2013. It may not be consensus among the fans, but I agree with FieldGulls in their thought that Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate are the two best deep threats on the team. I think Carroll and Bevell will test Harvin's effectiveness as a deep threat guy throughout the season, but that has not traditionally been his game. Harvin makes his money on short throws in open space. Rice's value comes from his ability to make chain-moving catches along the sidelines, and I think he is one of the very best in the NFL at this. He also has a body profile that is very different from our other three receivers, which I think a lot of people like. But when it comes to making plays on deep bombs thrown to the middle of field, Baldwin and Tate are your most reliable guys, and this is a crucial and necessary element of a Pete Carroll offense.
FieldGulls:
I guess this is my very long way of saying Seattle has some very difficult decisions to make at WR after 2013. Rice has the big cap number, but he also has the biggest body in Seattle's top four, and you love his ability to make plays along the sidelines. Tate's unrestricted and may command a big contract, but he's explosive after-the-catch and provides a type of deep threat that is necessary in this offense. He was also the best receiver at making something happen after a play broke down. Baldwin is restricted and can therefore be retained relatively cheaply for at least another season. He's also shown an ability to attack the ball on deep routes that Harvin hasn't quite demonstrated yet, so I just don't believe that he's a redundant member of the top 4.
Do I think we should retain Tate at a big salary number? Not necessarily, but I'm not writing off the idea yet either. There's a lot of football to play, and I really do think we need to see how these four pieces (the top 4 WRs) work together before we can make those kind of judgments. I'm excited to see it play out.
I think one of the biggest storylines to watch throughout this season is how valuable Tate shows himself to be with another elite tackle-breaker in Percy Harvin added to the mix. There seems to be a feeling out there among Hawk fans that the addition of Harvin makes Tate sort of redundant, but I actually think people are too hung up on their similarities in size and elusiveness. I remember during the press conference for Harvin's signing, Pete Carroll specifically said he didn't view the two as the same type of players when they were initially scouting Tate.
The first and most obvious difference is that Tate, while having the stature of a slot receiver, actually excels on the outside while Harvin has been most effective playing from the inside. FieldGulls:
Another good bit from the article is their summary of what the top four receivers bring to the table. Some folks seem pretty obsessed with identifying the "odd man out" in this group, but I think each has something very important to add to this offense for 2013. It may not be consensus among the fans, but I agree with FieldGulls in their thought that Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate are the two best deep threats on the team. I think Carroll and Bevell will test Harvin's effectiveness as a deep threat guy throughout the season, but that has not traditionally been his game. Harvin makes his money on short throws in open space. Rice's value comes from his ability to make chain-moving catches along the sidelines, and I think he is one of the very best in the NFL at this. He also has a body profile that is very different from our other three receivers, which I think a lot of people like. But when it comes to making plays on deep bombs thrown to the middle of field, Baldwin and Tate are your most reliable guys, and this is a crucial and necessary element of a Pete Carroll offense.
FieldGulls:
I guess this is my very long way of saying Seattle has some very difficult decisions to make at WR after 2013. Rice has the big cap number, but he also has the biggest body in Seattle's top four, and you love his ability to make plays along the sidelines. Tate's unrestricted and may command a big contract, but he's explosive after-the-catch and provides a type of deep threat that is necessary in this offense. He was also the best receiver at making something happen after a play broke down. Baldwin is restricted and can therefore be retained relatively cheaply for at least another season. He's also shown an ability to attack the ball on deep routes that Harvin hasn't quite demonstrated yet, so I just don't believe that he's a redundant member of the top 4.
Do I think we should retain Tate at a big salary number? Not necessarily, but I'm not writing off the idea yet either. There's a lot of football to play, and I really do think we need to see how these four pieces (the top 4 WRs) work together before we can make those kind of judgments. I'm excited to see it play out.
