Bengals players and coaches alike are really optimistic about Auden Tate’s role on this team. Is his performance during camp enough to make the roster?
Going into the offseason this year, few expected the Bengals to make a big splash at pass catcher. With AJ Green, John Ross, Tyler Boyd, and Brandon LaFell, there was very little room for other receivers. However, there was one niche role still missing from the team. Without Tyler Eifert, no Bengals player made an impact in the red zone.
The team may or may not have filled that role this offseason through the draft. The Bengals drafted Florida St. receiver Auden Tate in the 7th round. Tate, a faller through the pre-draft process, is a perfect fit for the Bengals as a red zone target. At 6’5″, 230, Tate has an NFL frame to wall off smaller defensive backs in the end zone. So far, the early returns on Tate are really good as he looks to make the team.
Tate has flashed his incredible skill set during camp, and other people are noticing. Because of his size, he he always been able to haul in unbelievable 50-50 balls. In camp, the other Bengals WRs have described Tate in glowing terms. AJ Green claimed that Tate was “a young Brandon Marshall”. He went to say that “the guy has unbelievable hands, he’s big (with) great body control. He had a very good (minicamp)”. John Ross also talked about Tate’s insane size, saying “His catch radius is ridiculous. It looks like the ball is always out of reach with him but it’s never out of reach. He’s going to be something serious”.
Though it’s good to see Tate’s teammates pointing out his success, the best quotes so far have come from Bengals WRs coach Bob Bicknell. Bicknell commented on Tate’s great size, but he has noted some other traits of Tate’s that he did not consistently display in college. He discussed Tate’s speed, saying “He’s not the fastest guy in the world and I’m not going to say that he is, but he moves well and he’s got really good quickness at the top of the break”. Tate ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at the combine, so his speed was a big question mark. If he has enough speed and fluidity on his routes, Tate can be a serious outside threat.
The other big thing Bicknell commented on with Tate was his ability to catch. Tate’s hands were an issue in college, so improvement would be huge. Bicknell seems genuinely impressed with Tate’s catching during camp.
"Every time the ball is thrown to him he catches it. He just really did a great job of catching the football – framing the ball, natural hands, and being strong and competitive."
When we did our roster projections, we had Tate making the team. Tate’s length was the primary factor, and he should still be an excellent red zone weapon for the Bengals. However, if he has NFL quickness and hands, he could be a much more versatile receiver. Tate seems confident and relaxed so far, and is clearly poised to give himself a great shot to make the roster.