On Tuesday, news broke that the Detroit Lions had traded their most consistent receiver over the past 4+ seasons, Golden Tate. Tate was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round draft pick.
http://gty.im/1058028400
Following the trade, many Lions fans and even some players commented on the trade. But one player who remained silent was Matthew Stafford. Many wondered if Stafford was asked about trading Tate before the move was made.
On Thursday, Stafford spoke to the media and he was asked about how the team would make up for Tate’s production on the field and he was asked whether or not he was consulted before the trade went down.
Via ESPN:
“Matthew Stafford said it’s going to be everybody to replace Golden Tate. Said “it’s on everybody.” Called Tate a really good player and a really good friend. Stafford said he found out while he was in the building that Tate was traded. Said he wasn’t alerted beforehand. Said “you deal with it and you move forward and you play good football.” Stafford said this year’s trade deadline was more surprising than other years with the amount of moves that were made.”
What do you think, Nation? Should the Lions have met with Stafford before trading Golden Tate or is that something for only the front office to worry about?
BONUS CONTENT:
Detroit Lions’ GM Bob Quinn proves he’s focused on WINNING a Super Bowl
When the 2017 NFL season was finally in the books and the offseason was upon us, one of the biggest questions was whether or not the Detroit Lions and Golden Tate would come to an agreement on a contract extension.
Well, that time passed without the two sides reaching an agreement and the 2018 season began. Then As the Oct. 30 NFL trade deadline approached, the Tate trade rumors started to swirl around and I started getting nervous.
Avoid the big mistake
You see, extending (or re-signing) Tate is a move I have been firmly against from Day 1. So, when rumors started flying that Tate could end up being traded, I got a bit excited. Even if we were only able to get back a fourth-round pick, I would have been excited, mostly because it meant Lions GM Bob Quinn was not willing to waste a ton of cash on a receiver who will be 31 for the 2019 season. After all, extending an “older” receiver who is likely going to demand a 3-4 year deal worth $12 million + per season would have been a big mistake that could end up crippling the Lions down the road.
To read the rest of the article, please click on the link below.
https://detroitsportsnation.com/detroit-lions-news/ddrysdale/detroit-lions-gm-bob-quinn-proves-hes-focused-on-winning-a-super-bowl/10-2018/198012/
