New York Giants: Golden Tate Is First Step in Revolutionizing Offense

New York Giants offseason acquisition, Golden Tate.
Nov 11, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Golden Tate (19) warms up before action against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

This past week the New York Giants signed former Philadelphia Eagles receiver Golden Tate, adding a trust-worthy pass catcher to the offense after trading away Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham identified as a top-tier wideout, demanding double coverage at all times and drawing defenders out of the box. His departure enables stacking the box without much worry, simply due to the downgrade at WR.

While Tate offers value, he isn’t nearly as skilled as Beckham. Despite having a lesser skill set, he could help head coach Pat Shurmur develop the offense into a more efficient and concise unit.

New York Giants: building the foundation of the offense

Establishing a great offensive line has been a priority since general manager Dave Gettleman took over. The signing of Nate Solder and drafting of Will Hernandez in 2018 attests to that observation. Additionally, top offensive guard Kevin Zeitler was part of the trade from the Cleveland Browns for OBJ.

Theoretically speaking, if you think of the trade objectively, you can see what they really got for Beckham. The Giants were preparing to cut Olivier Vernon if they couldn’t find a suitor for a trade, which takes him out of the equation.

If you look at the pure value that the Giants gained from trading Beckham, it makes a bit more sense – Odell Beckham Jr. FOR Zeitler, Jabrill Peppers, No. 17 overall pick and a third round selection.

That’s two extremely talented players and a quality opportunity to solidify a position of weakness in the draft. With a defensive heavy crop, Gettleman can secure a quality pass rusher at No. 17. Alternatively, Big Blue can go after a linebacker to bolster the middle of the field.

What value does Golden Tate bring to the Giants?

Tate not only brings health, but he provides leadership to a young group of players. Manning, 37, is on his last leg and is prepared to impart any of his information on a young signal caller out of the draft – whether it be Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins is to be seen.

His experience – playoff and Super Bowl experience instill faith at a position that was void of any true playoff knowledge. While his four-year, $37 million contract isn’t ideal, he has immense tangible and intangible skills to the team.

How will Shurmur operate the offense:

I anticipate Shurmur taking a more shirt to intermediate approach towards the offense moving forward. Having two slot receivers in Sterling Shepard and Tate allows the offense to work closer to the center of the field. Similar to the New England Patriots, the Giants will likely line up two players in the slot and develop variations of routes. The Patriots’ method is to mask predictability.

Essentially, they line up in familiar starting position but Tom Brady calls out variations of the play to best fit the situation – this allows him to dictate his play call on his pre-snap read. When your IQ is as elevated as Brady’s, finding a way to thread the opposing defense is rather easy, but it all comes down to situational football.

I expect the Giants to take a more calculated approach towards their game plan in 2020, utilizing the middle of the field and boundary post routes out of the spot.