Cincinnati Bengals re-sign wide receiver Brandon Tate

The Cincinnati Bengals retain Brandon Tate for now, but his roster spot isn’t guaranteed.

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed wide receiver and kick return specialist Brandon Tate on Tuesday, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports.

The #Bengals announce they've re-signed WR Brandon Tate.
— Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) April 1, 2015

Tate caught 17 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown with the Bengals a season ago. Almost all of that production came in the first half of year as Tate moved up the depth chart due to injuries elsewhere, but he fell to a No. 4 option at best by the end of the season.

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Most of Tate’s value with the Bengals has come on special teams, as he was an effective return man from 2011-2013 and returned 18 punts for 174 yards and 18 kicks for 397 yards last season. Those were all easily the lowest totals of Tate’s tenure with Cincinnati.

The reason why was the emergence of Adam Jones as a return man. Jones returned 22 punts for 226 yards and 27 kicks for 844 yards, leaving Tate’s role reduced.

As such, this agreement comes as a bit of a surprise, as it’s difficult to see where exactly the Bengals value Tate. It seems likely that this is a one-year deal and that Tate’s roster spot is far from guaranteed.

Many predict that the Bengals will draft a smaller, quicker wide receiver to pair with A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu. The fit would make sense and there are a few such targets available.

Tight end Tyler Eifert will also be returning from elbow and shoulder surgeries, which could be a huge boost if he improves upon a promising rookie season. Both Cincinnati running backs can catch the ball out of the backfield and unproven second-year receiver James Wright has some upside, giving Andy Dalton plenty of options surrounding him if everyone can stay healthy.

There’s just no targets for Tate in that offense. Barring an injury to Jones, he’s not going to see many returns, either.

A draft selection like Tyler Lockett or Phillip Dorsett could replace Tate’s skill set and add another dimension to the Bengals’ offense. While Cincinnati made it clear that they want some training camp competition with this move, it seems a rookie should be able to push Tate off the roster.

If the seventh-year receiver is indeed cut, there won’t be a huge demand for him. However, his special teams experience could help him land at least a roster spot somewhere as injuries pile up closer to the season.

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