We should get to know more about...BRANDON TATE

[FreeTedWilliams]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

I think that Tate will get a shot at the KO return job to start. Does he take Edelman's spot now that he is hurt? I think that he is ready to go, because if he was not, I think that BB would have brought in someone at the trading deadline, knowing that he was going to cut Galloway, and Edelman was hurt.

I watched this kid play, and I think he is going to be something. It might be better for him in the long run that he started on the PUP. It gave him time to get the entire playbook down, he was able to see what happens when you don't get the playbook (galloway) and according to all the articles posted, he has been saddling up to Randy Moss (who both BB and Brady call one of the smartest football players they have ever been around). has anyone ever changed the perception of themselves as much as Moss has these last few years. By the time he is done here, besides a ticket to the HOF, he is going to be remember as a great team player and teammate, not exactly the reputation that he showed up in New England with..........

 

[patchick]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

The Patriots seem to take wes welker clones. They took Edelman and Tate in this draft. And while tate has been compared to Reggie Wayne i see more similarities to Welker.

I really don't see the Welker-ness. Tate is a 6-foot, long-armed wideout who was considered an unpolished receiver but showed excellent acceleration in deep routes. Not Welker/Edelman/Branch type world-class quickness, but decent speed and quickness and a good combo of length and leaping ability. (To find a worse vertical than Welker on this team, you have to look at the likes of Brace and Koppen. The OTs all out-leap him. )

 

[Gwedd]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

And here I was wondering if anybody even ever read any of those quotes or links ...

Oh, I read then, and look forward to them as well..

I just haven't commented regarding them as much as I probably should, because when I get done, I'm usually lost in thought, digesting what I'be just read...

But, thanks VERY much for putting these articles together. It's really nice to read such quality stuff.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

This is definitely false. The most receiving TD he's ever had is 5 in one season, and he missed the last 8 games of his senior year. I think he only had about 3 TDs..

His speciality was KR and PR until he saw more and more time at WR, later on.

I think the OP accidentally quoted his high school senior stats.

Brandon Tate, North Carolina, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[upstater1]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

The Patriots seem to take wes welker clones. They took Edelman and Tate in this draft. And while tate has been compared to Reggie Wayne i see more similarities to Welker.

I don't see Welker at all. Tate plays big. I remember watching him and thinking he was much bigger than 6 feet. The clip didn't show many of his jump ball catches, but that's what sticks out to me from his college days. Not a crisp route runner in college ala Welker, but more of a kid who sprinted downfield and outjumped his competition. I see him going across the middle for the Patriots.

 

[RayClay]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

Um, where did you get those stats from? Pretty sure he didn't even have 1000 yards in his entire career.

I've got his NC stats page here. Maybe we drafted the wrong Brandon Tate?

I know Ed McKeever almost drafted a dead guy once, but i thought those days were over.

3 punts and 3 kickoffs returned for TD seems like a lot, though.

 

[aeg]

Re: Brandon Tate college stats

Here's what I found:

2008 - 6 games - 5 TD
Receiving: 16 catches for 376 yards and 3 TD, 23.5 ypc and 63 ypg
Punt Returns: 7 for 158 yards and 1 TD, 22.5 yard average
Kick Returns: 11 for 305 yards, 27.7 yard average
Total Yards: 982, 163.7 yards per game
Yards from scrimmage: 519 yards on 27 plays; 19.2 yards per play and 86.5 yards per game

2007 - 12 games - 7 TD
Receiving: 25 for 479 yards, 5 TD, 19.2 yards per catch, 40 yards per game
Punt Returns: 23 for 216 yards, 1 TD, 9.4 yard average
Kick Returns: 39 for 939 yards, 24.1 yard average, 78 yards per game
Total Yards: 1765 yards, 147.1 yards per game, 17.8 yards per play
Yards from scrimmage: 610 on 37 plays; 16.5 yards per play and 50.8 yards per game

2006 - 12 games - 3 TD
Receiving: 5 for 72 yards, 14.4 yards per catch
Punt Returns: 20 for 194 yards, 1 TD, 9.7 yard average
Kick Returns: 38 for 902 yards, 23.7 yard average, 75 yards per game
Total Yards: 1188 yards, 99 yards per game, 18 yards per play



cfbstats.com - Brandon Tate 2008 Player Statistics - North Carolina Tar Heels

These stats are actually depressing me some ... seems like a great returner but did not much as a receiver. Roughly 3 catches for 63 ypg as a senior. Obviously great ypc, but some of the youtube videos showed him wide open (UNC doesn't always play top competition).

On the plus side, he looks to me that he has some real talent working in the open field, reading/setting up blocks. They seemed to give him the ball a fair amount in end arounds / reverses as well. and he doesn't seem afraid of contact.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

I absolutely love this guy I was praying we would draft him before the draft he was my "binky." When we took him 3rd round I was estatic. He is going to be perfect to line up opposite Moss with Welker in the slot. I can't wait to see him in game action and I'm definitely getting his jersey.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

Um, where did you get those stats from? Pretty sure he didn't even have 1000 yards in his entire career.

NFL stats college analysis page. Go figure.

I agree these stats are wrong i should probably shoot them an email.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

I really don't see the Welker-ness. Tate is a 6-foot, long-armed wideout who was considered an unpolished receiver but showed excellent acceleration in deep routes. Not Welker/Edelman/Branch type world-class quickness, but decent speed and quickness and a good combo of length and leaping ability. (To find a worse vertical than Welker on this team, you have to look at the likes of Brace and Koppen. The OTs all out-leap him. )

Heres where i disagree. His 40 time was only average. He plays faster than what he runs. Very quick feet and hands. Is very agile and probably would have scored incredibly well in the 3 cone.

Patriots have the most success with players (WR specifically) who run very good to amazing 3 cone times.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

I think the OP accidentally quoted his high school senior stats.

Brandon Tate, North Carolina, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

You sir are correct. I took them from NFL's site and it had it labeled under college

 

[weswelker#83]

Small Brandon Tate highlight reel (nothing great)

Kickoff return for a TD (Breaks 4 tackles then outruns everyone on field to score)

Height: 6 Feet 0 Inches
Weight: 183 Lbs
College: North Carolina

Played 3 positions in college. Return specialist, WR and Defensive back.

Had 66 receptions for 1,213 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 games as a senior.

PROS:

• Excellent route runner with quick feet
• believed to have had an excellent 3 cone time pre injury
• Elusive in the field makes up for lack of breakout speed (aka wes welker syndrome)
• Very good at reading blocks and making them
• Very good flexibilty to counter for poorly thrown passes

Here is a different Angle for that Kickoff return for a TD
YouTube - Brandon Tate Punt Return Touchdown UNC HEISMAN?

 

[JSn]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

...here's a thing to know about Brandon Tate: He'll be activated for Sunday's game. Let's call it a hunch.

Yep, me and hunches, we get along nicely.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

Yep, me and hunches, we get along nicely.

Most of us had a feeling he was going to be activated. Now, will he see any offensive snaps? And, if so, how many will he see?

 

[TheComeback]

Tate isn't a Welker-type slot receiver. Whoever said he doesn't have deep speed is totally wrong. The guy was THE deep threat for UNC, while Nicks was an intermediate and underneath guy. Tate averaged 19 yards per catch his senior year.

Go watch Tate's highlights on YouTube. If you don't think he has breakout speed, you're just blind.

YouTube - Brandon Tate

Watch the punt return at 2:35 and tell me this guy can't go deep with that speed.

He's also physical, can break tackles, and can win in jump ball situations. I'd say he's more like a young Joey Galloway than Wes Welker.

Hopefully he still has that talent, and can use it in the NFL.

 

[larryo]

YouTube - Brandon Tate

At 1:38. That's what I'm looking for. One shoe no less.

 

[patchick]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

Heres where i disagree. His 40 time was only average. He plays faster than what he runs. Very quick feet and hands. Is very agile and probably would have scored incredibly well in the 3 cone.

Patriots have the most success with players (WR specifically) who run very good to amazing 3 cone times.

I'm not sure "decent speed" and "average speed" really put us so far apart. We don't have any solid numbers, but it was accepted at UNC that Tate was faster than Nicks which means comfortably < 4.50 pre-injury. He's not a track star type, but certainly has more straight-line speed than Edelman or Welker with a ton more length. As for quickness, it would be a miracle for a 6-footer to put up the kind of all-world shuttle and cone times that Branch and Edelman did. The one set of times I've found for Tate is a pedestrian 4.12/7.25, but he's probably (hopefully) quicker than that.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

I like this video better: YouTube - Brandon Tate UNC Football

I don't really care what his timed numbers are. He reminds me of Maclin--he's almost as shifty as Harvin, even. I love his burst; he shows great acceleration, regardless of his top-end speed, and it looks like his body control is outstanding. Can't wait to see what he does tomorrow.

 

[patchick]

I like this video better: YouTube - Brandon Tate UNC Football

I don't really care what his timed numbers are. He reminds me of Maclin--he's almost as shifty as Harvin, even. I love his burst; he shows great acceleration, regardless of his top-end speed, and it looks like his body control is outstanding. Can't wait to see what he does tomorrow.

Getting away from the numbers along with you, I totally agree on Tate's all-around athleticism. I was just disagreeing with the Welker comparisons, which I don't get.

The big question mark on Tate, even pre-injury, wasn't physical -- it was his polish as a receiver, especially his route running. It's striking how most of the highlight tape is punt/kick returns and end arounds.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: We should get to know more about.....BRANDON TATE

Um, where did you get those stats from? Pretty sure he didn't even have 1000 yards in his entire career.

Ok.. the 66 receptions for 1213 yards was what he did as a senior in HIGH SCHOOL. Tate only played in a few games his senior year before missing the final seven with his torn ACL/MCL.

At UNC, here are Tate's numbers.


46 Receptions
927 Yards
8 TDs

26 Carries
294 yards
2 tds

79 Punt Returns
835 yards
3TDs

109 Returns
2688 Yards
3 TDs

He set the NCAA record for total return yards and would have shattered the record for Kick return yards and made over 1000 yards on punt returns had he not gotten hurt.