Being traded can be difficult, especially in the heart of the season. Moving your family to a new city on top of having to learn a whole new playbook, terminology and build chemistry with the players around you, it’s a lot for any player to handle. Even with all of that on his plate, it hasn’t taken Golden Tate long to dig in deep during the Bye.
“They’re going to have to spend a little extra time either during or after practice and getting some extra throws possibly just to kind of get a feel.” Doug Pederson said when asked about the chemistry between Tate and his new quarterback, Carson Wentz. “I think as a quarterback you’d want to do that, and same way with Golden. [Detroit Lions QB] Matthew Stafford throws it probably a little differently than Carson does. So getting used to Carson is just something he’s going to have to do. But we’ve got to do it fast, like now. It’s going to take some time.”
Tate opened up on the whole process after practice, speaking extremely positively of Wentz and the steps the two are taking to ensure that they hit the ground running on Sunday night.
Golden Tate says Carson Wentz throws a pretty ball, one he thinks he’ll catch a lot this season.
Now the challenge is trying to expedite his chemistry with Wentz. @FOX29philly #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/dUcXGfH9mR
— Kristen Rodgers (@KristenERodgers) November 7, 2018
“I’m going to tell you, he’s been in here every day.” Doug Pederson told reporters on Wednesday. “He and [Eagles wide receivers coach Gunter] Brew[er] and [Eagles Offensive Coordinator] Mike Groh, even myself, we’ve kind of tackled him every single day. Trying to get him caught up to just our terminology, the way we call things, how we line up. But he’s been awesome, been in here every day.”
Despite now having two bye weeks this season, Tate currently ranks 28th in the league in receiving yards with 517 yards on 44 catches. The elusive wideout is as reliable as they come, snagging 90+ receptions in each of the past four seasons. Conversely, the nature of the acquisition means Tate will spend just eight games in Philly before the free agent Dogs will come sniffing, meaning building a bond with Wentz quickly is absolutely paramount.
“…he’s done a great job, and just getting everybody back today off a bye week, we’re jumping in the pool with both feet.” Offensive coordinator Mike Groh explained. “He’s a veteran player, he’s been in a couple different systems, so he’s got familiarity with different systems in the league and he can relate it to things that he’s done in the past. We’re trying to look back at things that he’s had a lot of success with and start there.”
The Bye week came at a perfect time for Golden Tate, giving him a unique window to get firmly acquainted with his new surroundings. It’s something the veteran hasn’t taken lightly and it’s extremely encouraging to hear that both coach and coordinator are impressed with his progress.
It remains to be seen what kind of role Tate will have in the Eagles offense to begin with, but if he can get on the same page with Carson Wentz this early, there’s no reason he can’t hit the ground going full throttle.
Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
