Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs. He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019. This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team. Maybe even at the very end of training camp. But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

I think Tate will really put his head down and reach the end zone
More than once this year. Next year he is a free agent.
More money and more targets will motivate him..

Maybe new WR coach Troy Walters can get more out of him
Than Bicknell did. Tate has a unique skill set.
Let's not forget he was really raw coming out of FSU.
Not every WR comes,out the gate tearing it up.
WRs that come from programs with subpar QBing tend to suffer
WRs that come from school with superlative QBing
Tend to prosper sooner than later....Jefferson, Higgins for example

I agree with you fredtoast with Tate being a serviceable #4. My question is will he be a serviceable #3 if Boyd, Chase or Higgins goes down due to injury?

(05-10-2021, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs.  He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019.  This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team.  Maybe even at the very end of training camp.  But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

I like Auden Tate as a Bengal, however....

I think Tate is more of a situational weapon based on down, distance, & field position than he is a consistent 4th option. I think Michael Thomas, who needs to clean some things up, makes for a better 4th WR than Tate due to his physical tools being suited to play any WR spot in the offense.

I'm also intrigued by young guys like Scotty Washington (he has some long speed with a 40 time in the low 4.5s, where Tate ran 4.68). Interested in seeing his development. He is also a huge target at 6'5" 220lbs or so.

How I see it on today's date...
- The Bengals 3 for 11 personnel would be the obvious: Boyd, Higgins, Chase
- 4 Wide: Boyd, Higgins, Chase, Thomas
- 5 Wide: Boyd, Higgins, Chase, Thomas, Tate

^ Washington may sneak in there.

Side notes:
- Could Mixon flex/motion into a slot or outside WR role on certain plays to become WR #4 or 5?
- Same for the rookie RB from UM, Evans. He could also make for a really interesting weapon at WR as well. Obviously that wouldn't be on a regular basis, but as Burrow changes plays based on what the defense is doing, I could see Mixon or Evans being put out as WRs based on play changes presnap.

(05-10-2021, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs.  He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019.  This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team.  Maybe even at the very end of training camp.  But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

I actually still think Auden Tate could be a really good outside receiver in this league (mid to low end 2), but I don't think he has the versatility inside and out to be the only back-end vet on the roster. He suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11 I think it was, so he really missed out on the ability to get some more targets later in the year. His real issue is that he doesn't play special teams and that is really a requirement if you arent a top 2/3 WR on a depth chart, so it can leave you inactive depending how injuries in other places stack up week to week. We are talking to Westbrook who I like as a potential option since he can return punts and can play out of the slot if Boyd goes down. Either way, I think you can do a lot worse than Auden Tate being your team's 4/5 receiver. 

(05-10-2021, 12:49 PM)BacknDaDey Wrote: I agree with you fredtoast with Tate being a serviceable #4.  My question is will he be a serviceable #3 if Boyd, Chase or Higgins goes down due to injury?

That's where I'm at.  He's ok as a possession WR4 that can move the chains once or twice a game.  However, as a 1-3 getting 100+ targets a year, the guy is a liability.  He just has a very limited skill set and is nowhere near as good with actual contested catches as some think.  

We could still use some speed in our WR depth, but man...WR4/5 should be wayyy down on our priority list.

Tate is a “meh” receiver. He isn’t awful and yes he will give you the highlight film catch now and again but he is also not good at the meat and potatoes part of the position. We would like one more receiver with good fundamentals so the WR room 1-4 are solid.

Tate has incredible reach and jumping ability and flashes great contortion in the air and toe tapping on the boundary.

But he has no ability to separate other than vertically jumping (which does count, to his credit) and doesn't seem to be all that sound as a route runner either.

He would have been...adequate as a #3 receiver but not ideal. He is an asset as a #4 or #5 receiver. I'm happy with him where he is.

(05-10-2021, 03:14 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Tate has incredible reach and jumping ability and flashes great contortion in the air and toe tapping on the boundary.

But he has no ability to separate other than vertically jumping (which does count, to his credit) and doesn't seem to be all that sound as a route runner either.

He would have been...adequate as a #3 receiver but not ideal. He is an asset as a #4 or #5 receiver. I'm happy with him where he is.

and thus all the contested, acrobatic, basketball blockout, use of the body, reaching grabs he has in his career.

(05-10-2021, 03:50 PM)Yogo Wrote: and thus all the contested, acrobatic, basketball blockout, use of the body, reaching grabs he has in his career.

Actually for a guy his size Auden Tate isn't a very physical receiver. 

(05-10-2021, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs.  He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019.  This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team.  Maybe even at the very end of training camp.  But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

Tate showed me that he is giving this opportunity very seriously and did a lot before the 2020 season to make himself a better WR.  He worked with Chad Johnson on his footwork, helping to make his routes more precise.  The one game he got some real action (Tennessee) he was a perfect 7 receptions on 7 targets for 65 yards.  

I am not saying he should be on the field over anyone like Boyd or Higgins, but I think he is a quality NFL WR that could be a weapon in the red zone and a chain mover.  

I always thought that if Tate were to be successful in any role in the NFL, it would have been as a red zone threat.
Turns out he's actually not that at all.

(05-10-2021, 05:11 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I always thought that if Tate were to be successful in any role in the NFL, it would have been as a red zone threat.
Turns out he's actually not that at all.

Hence,

(05-10-2021, 03:54 PM)Synric Wrote: Actually for a guy his size Auden Tate isn't a very physical receiver. 

I like the guy a lot and I DEFINITELY want him on this team as a WR4.

But that's it; like Erickson being excellent for a WR5/6, I wouldn't want Tate to be elevated above that (in terms of raw numbers, the two players are actually quite similar, more so than I thought).

If we sign Dede Westbrook, Tate may be gone.

(05-10-2021, 07:34 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: If we sign Dede Westbrook, Tate may be gone.

Tate doesn't play ST.  

If we sign ANY healthy veteran WR with any history of production Tate will have trouble sticking on the roster.

(05-10-2021, 09:16 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Tate doesn't play ST.  

If we sign ANY healthy veteran WR with any history of production Tate will have trouble sticking on the roster.

Not really, your going to carry 7 with 5-6 active gameday. He is pretty safe to make the roster even with a Westbrook signing he is potentially gameday inactive though with Mike Thomas playing special teams and Westbrook too depending on what other position groups offer up special teams players.

(05-10-2021, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs.  He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019.  This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team.  Maybe even at the very end of training camp.  But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

I've been on the Tate train the entire time. He just needs snaps.

(05-10-2021, 03:54 PM)Synric Wrote: Actually for a guy his size Auden Tate isn't a very physical receiver. 

He really isn't.  He had a 28.6% contested catch percentage last year.  He makes the occasional highlight reel grab that fools people into thinking he's actually good and feeds the "Auden Tate turns 50/50 balls into 70/30 balls" myth, but he doesn't have quick hands and can't separate, which makes it easy for CB's to get a hand in break up passes.  He's not really a physical route runner, either.

(05-10-2021, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Last off season I spent a lot of time arguing with the people who claimed Auden Tate could be one of our top 3 WRs.  He had one of the worst catch % in the entire league and I felt he put up some decent numbers just because there was no one else to throw the ball too in 2019.  This seemed to be proven in 2020 when he was behind Michael Thomas on the depth chart and was often not even on the active roster on gameday.

This off season I have spent a lot of time talking about what a great drop off in talent their is after our top 3 WRs.

But when I step back and look at Tate as a #4 WR I realize he would probably be serviceable. I still think we may add a veteran who gets release by another team.  Maybe even at the very end of training camp.  But if we don't I won't complain too much about Tate as our #4.

I like Mike Thomas. Cuz he caught 2 nice passes in games I watched