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Golden Tate: As Dynamic as Percy Harvin?
By TOMMarch 9th, 2009 |
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I am forecasting the Pats will be in trouble next season at the WR position. They no longer have any dynamic WR's, like Moss used to be and Percy Harvin was last season. The dynamic Wes Welker had two serious injuries last season, and both required surgery. I don't see how you can count on him next season. Brandon Tate showed he had some dynamic potential, but after his second surgery on the same knee in two years, how much can you really count on him? Julian Edelman was a nice possession-type story last year, but I wouldn't call him dynamic. Now maybe all four pull through all the injuries and troubles from last season and play better than they did last season, and maybe my wish will finally come true and I'll get a dragon for Christmas;-)
Percy Harvin was an amazingly dynamic player in college. When I watched Golden last season, he looked even more dynamic to me than Harvin was his junior year. Both Harvin and Golden were Running backs. Harvin was all-purpose RB at Florida, and Golden played RB in high school. During Golden's senior year he garnered 1,413 yards rushing and 23 TDs on 140 carries, for a dynamic 10-Yards Per Carry. While Harvin garnered 1,851 and 19 and 194 carries (that's almost a dynamic 10 YPC;-) during his three years at Florida.
I didn't think Harvin was going to be as dynamic a WR as he was his rookie year. I thought it would take him a year or two to develop into a legit NFL WR. However, all the signs were there that he would be as dynamic with the ball in his hands as any prospect in last year's Draft. Golden has proven that in this year's Draft he is the most dynamic player with the ball in his hands in this years Draft. Plus, he has been learning the WR position for three years in a Pats-Style offense, under Charlie Weis.
What Harvin did last season was really remarkable, and I think he finally developed into a dynamic NFL WR. Especially when you consider he was not really a WR at Florida. He garnered 1,929 yards and 13 TDs on 133 Catches, in three seasons at Florida. In Golden's first two seasons at Notre Dame, when he was still converting from RB to WR, Golden garnered 1,211 yards and 11 TDs on 64 catches, for a dynamic 18.9 YPC, and he garnered 2,215 all-purpose yards. Harvin garnered 1,303 all-purpose yards during his final year at Florida, which is little misleading because he didn't return punts or kicks, because they had two guys who could do it better. During his Junior season Golden showed he was no longer a RB playing WR, he was a dynamic NFL WR prospect. He garnered 1,496 yards and 15 TDs on 93 catches, for a dynamic 16.1 YPC. What makes these stat even more impressive, is that once Michael Floyd was injured, Tate was double and tripled teamed all game.
The reason I am lumping these to together is because they both always had the natural knack for making defenders miss. When they caught the ball, they weren't just WR speedsters running with the ball, they were Running Backs out in the open field looking for lanes and following blockers. Harvin might have a little more speed, but Golden has more experience as a Kick Returner and Punt Returner, something Harvin didn't do in college. Plus, Golden is much more skilled WR. They also have such similar physical looks. Harvin- 5-11, 200, 4.41, 20 Reps. Tate- 5-10.5, 199, 4.42 Official (4.36-4.37 Unofficial), 17 Reps. Tate is a little bigger in the thighs, and Harvin is a little bigger in the upper body.
Tate is a great player with the ball in his hands (4:45). He also has the best hands in the Draft (2:30). Last season he kept growing from a speedster RB into a Wide Receiver. He can track the ball over his head and make the great deep catch while fighting off CB (3:08 Double-Teamed). He runs patterns sharper and better every time I see him play. Knows how to break off a pattern when the blitz is coming (1:05 Not Double-Teamed). He runs like a RB in the open field (1:53). He tracks the ball and catches it with a defender draped on him like a WR (1:59 Not D-T).
Tate has great, dynamic, and explosive speed with the ball in his hands. He is a smart WR who will come back to the QB when he is in trouble (1:33), (3:05 D-T). He has really strong hands and can leap up high and snag the badly thrown ball in traffic (0:36 Double-Teamed), (3:47 Not D-T). He runs a nice Comeback (0:42 D-T), which an NFL route. Plus, Clausen has an NFL arm, so he is not reaching out and grabbing softies, he is catching NFL caliber throws. He runs better patterns than he is given credit (0:58 Not D-T). Cuts naturally and smoothly in patterns, doesn't always make the sharpest cuts, but improved dramatically in 2009. Has subtle moves in patterns, and his cuts look sharper every year (2:09 Not D-T). The more I watch him the more I like him. Kept getting open deep down field more and more as a Junior (2:52 D-T).
Super speed guy who is also a good blocker. This past season he displayed a remarkable ability to catch the ball deep, over the Double-Team, while fighting CBs. He has very strong hands (Amazing 4.05). Just kills teams coming over the middle when defenses go into the Prevent and was maybe the top clutch Receiver in college last year (4:28, 4:21, 4:48, 5:26). He also was Notre Dame's Wildcat QB (4:38). The amazing part of all those highlights is that that is just one video, I usually need 4 or 5 to show all the stuff I wrote down in my notes while watching a player.
Call me crazy, but Golden Tate is a better, more dynamic prospect coming out of college than Percy Harvin. I admit I was amazed at how well Harvin played WR last season, but I am stating clearly that Tate better, more dynamic, Wide Receiver skills as a junior than Harvin displayed as a junior. Also you can see Tate's dynamic skills as a PR and KR, something Harvin did do in college.
Though we have four good to above average WRs on the roster. They all bring issues, and lack that electric quality Percy Harvin brought to the field last season. I think Golden Tate could bring that dynamic quality to the Pats next season. That would allow Edelman and the other Tate to take up residence in the slot until Welker is healthy, and maybe Golden will so dynamic that they don't try and rush Welker back into the line up like they did last year with the other Tate.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me:
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