Bengals Re-Sign Brandon Tate
Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon Tate (19) returns a kick off getting away from Denver Broncos outside linebacker
Corey Nelson(52) during the fourth quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
As of today, the Cincinnati Bengals have chosen to continue their “homecoming” offseason by re-signing wide receiver and return specialist Brandon Tate.
NEWS: #Bengals re-sign WR Brandon Tate
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 1, 2015
Tate ranks 3rd all-time for Bengals in total KORs (127) & punt returns (126) pic.twitter.com/NV5xzMBzIY
Brandon Tate’s 2014 campaign started out well while the Bengals dealt with injuries within the team’s receiving options. But as the season wore on, Tate’s role slowly diminished as the Bengals looked to incorporate a variety of different weapons. For a time it was Greg Little, then James Wright began to emerge. Yet even when Wright suffered an injury of his own, the team never really incorporated Tate again.
Tate’s role as a returner was also lessened as Adam Jones took over the return duties while proving to be the superior option both on kick and punt returns.
When offseason activities begin, Tate’s position with the Bengals will hardly be assured; it’s likely this agreement proves to be another one-year deal. He’ll likely be behind A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and James Wright. This while the Bengals will likely draft another wide receiver who’ll presumably find himself above Tate also.
Brandon Tate will likely find himself in a difficult situation when training camp rolls around. He could still make the team, as the Bengals typically carry seven wide receivers on the 53-man roster. It’s Tate’s special teams experience that could prove to be the difference in any camp battle. Yet, after counting the likely receivers ahead of him, and considering the team still possesses other receiving weapons such as Tyler Eifert, presumably another drafted tight end, and Giovani Bernard, Tate could find himself battling for his spot anyway if the Bengals choose to cut down on the wide receivers they keep on the final roster. We’ll have to wait and see the details of the agreement and how the draft shakes out before giving a final analysis on Tate’s offseason situation. For now, welcome back.
Next: Bengals Looked At TE Rob Housler