Why Golden Tate to the New York Giants makes sense

Former Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate inked a deal with the New York Giants on Thursday.

Here at Slap the Sign, we keep a close eye on former Irish players in the NFL. Such was the case during this NFL free agency period, as Golden Tate was one of the top available players at the wide receiver position.

We all had hopes and possible scenarios when it came to where Tate would land. The Patriots and Steelers were tossed around by our writers and the national media alike. Both of those moves made sense.

When Golden Tate signed with the Giants, I was initially shocked. As I thought more about it, it made a lot of sense for both the Giants and Tate.

Tate was never going to get fair market value from the Patriots. They operate under the “Moneyball” system, where they bring in vets who can do one thing well and then pay them a discount rate to do that one thing.

Golden Tate is not a one-trick pony.

Pittsburgh is an absolute soap opera-style, drama-filled mess. The issues in that organization are deeper than two players. In retrospect, I’m glad Tate didn’t end up there.

In landing with the Giants, he get the money he has earned and deserves as a result of a stellar NFL career. He enters a situation where the team is in a rebuild, and the organization is going to need veteran player who can still make an impact on the field while providing leadership in the lockerroom during the transition. Tate can play that role.

He’ll also be a valuable asset to a young quarterback. Tate knows he’s going to get his targets, but he’s also not a young diva who will be screaming on the sidelines and in post-game pressers about not getting them. Instead, he’ll be a calming presence and a safety net for the young signal-caller the Giants draft this year.

Additionally, don’t assume money means more than a title to Golden Tate just because he signed with what is projected to be one of the league’s worst teams. This league is structured in a way where teams can go from the bottom of the heap to the top very quickly. The rookie contract structure with quarterbacks is one where you can have a guy under center at a discount rate and build a team around him.

In that regard, the Giants have or will soon have some key pieces in places to begin the process of building a championship caliber team. Tate has enough good years in him to be around when the team reaches its full potential. He’s actually younger than Antonio Brown.

Last but certainly not least — it’s New York. There’s no better place for a strong-minded individual to build their brand and set themselves up for success after a sports career than the Big Apple.

Sure, a lot of us selfishly wanted Golden Tate to end up on our favorite NFL teams, but looking at it from Tate’s point of view, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t a solid career move all around.