NY Giants WR Golden Tate’s value might have spiked ahead of the 2020 NFL trade deadline after several wide receivers suffered injuries Sunday
Sunday was devastating as far as injuries to wide receivers go, but teams’ pain across the NFL could be to the NY Giants’ gain ahead of next Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham’s season is over after the former Giants star tore his ACL in the first quarter of Sunday’s Browns comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be without Dede Westbrook is also feared to have suffered a torn ACL when he was carted off the field against the Los Angeles Chargers.
If the Giants are looking to trade wide receiver Golden Tate, his market might have become a little stronger after Beckham and Westbrook’s injuries. Tate is due $19.2 million through 2022, but any team acquiring Tate would only be responsible for the $4.7 million guaranteed for the remainder of this year as the remaining $14.5 million is not guaranteed.
Scroll through for a look at three teams that could have interest in Tate, if the Giants make him available:
Cleveland Browns
If the regular season ended today, the Cleveland Browns would be in the playoffs as an AFC Wild Card thanks to a 5-2 start.
However, losing Beckham will make the road to the postseason significantly more difficult for the Browns. Additionally, there is no guarantee that Beckham will be healthy in time for Week 1 of the 2021 season, so the Browns might view Tate as a depth play for next season as well.
In addition to their own picks, the Browns also have an additional third-rounder (via Saints), fourth-rounder (via Eagles), fifth-rounders (via Jaguars, Rams), and seventh-rounders (via Buffalo Bills), so GM Andrew Berry has plenty of ammunition to pull off another deal with Dave Gettleman involving a wide receiver.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have been decimated by injuries, but sit just a half game behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the midst of an MVP caliber season.
Green Bay has already lost receivers Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess, and Tyler Ervin for multiple weeks, so general manager Brian Gutekunst will likely be shopping for receivers over the next eight days.
Tate’s versatility to line up outside or in the slot with the abiity to stretch the field vertically could make him an ideal fit in head coach Matt LeFleur’s aerial scheme.
Green Bay has a full complement of picks in next April’s draft, so could flip a mid-round selection for Tate.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are likely to be sellers, rather than buyers, at the deadline but Westbrook’s injury leaves Jacksonville woefully thin at receiver.
If Westbrook is out for the season, Jacksonville would be down to just five healthy receivers.
What Jacksonville does have is plenty of picks to spare, currently owning 12 picks, including two fourth-round picks and two fifth-round picks, one of which could be used to pry away Tate and have a viable No. 4 receiver under team control for the next two years and a possible playmaker after the catch to insert in the lineup the rest of this season.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.