Fansided

One offseason move each NFL team must make

By Brad Berreman

PITTSBURGH, PA -DECEMBER 16: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) looks on during the NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 16, 2018 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA -DECEMBER 16: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) looks on during the NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 16, 2018 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images /

New Orleans Saints-Sign WR Golden Tate

Before catching the game-winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round, Tate struggled to get integrated into the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense with limited snaps at times after being acquired from the Detroit Lions. But his track record, with four straight 90-plus catch seasons (three times over 1,000 yards) for the Lions (2014-2017), automatically puts him in line to be a highly coveted free agent in March.

Tate is hardly a prototypical No. 1 wide receiver (5-foot-10, 197 pounds), and he operates mostly out of the slot anyway. But he’s dynamic after the catch, with at least 20 missed tackles forced in every season since 2011.

Michael Thomas had a great 2018 season, but the Saints never had a consistent No. 2 wide receiver and that became a notable hole when the offense slowed down late in the season. Tate has never had a quarterback the caliber of Drew Brees or a play caller like Sean Payton, so the possibility of that is automatically intriguing.

The Saints are pretty cap-strapped right now, but extending Brees’ contract and reducing his cap hit for 2019 would be an obvious move to free up money. If Tate wants a chance to win another ring more than a big contract, New Orleans looks like a prime spot for him in free agency.

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