What Golden Tate Can Teach Jamal Agnew
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It was revealed exactly one month ago that Jamal Agnew would be making the full-time switch from defensive back to wide receiver for the Detroit Lions.
“I think you saw a little bit of that right at the end of last year, right, where we kind of brought him over and gave him a few opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. We really like his skill set,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell recently said.
He added, “Right now we’re going to kind of lean that way. Kind of let it go where it goes. I think he has a chance to help us.”
We’re now finding out that a former Lion, Golden Tate, will be helping him to make the transition a little smoother.
Tate and Agnew played together in Detroit for a year and a half prior to the Lions trading Tate to Philadelphia in 2018.
Reaching out a helping hand to a former teammate is an admirable move and a clear indicator of Tate’s character.
The now 31-year old Golden Tate, currently on the Giants roster, played for the Lions from 2014 until the midway point of the 2018 season.
Tate hauled in at least 1,000 yards receiving in three of his four full-seasons with the Lions organization. A career-best 1,331 yards in 2014 (his first season with Detroit) led to Tate’s only Pro Bowl appearance.
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After building up a reputation for providing electricity on special teams, Detroit felt it would be logical to put the ball in Agnew’s hands more often.
Agnew now finds himself trying to expedite the learning process of moving over to offense full-time.
Where Tate comes in is helping Agnew to apply his natural talent to a more structured offensive setting.
The ex-Lion can teach Agnew where and when to use his speed, and how to apply deceptive footwork to route-running. Tate is also known for his exceptional ability to rack up yards after the catch.
Agnew certainly possesses the shiftiness, vision, cutting ability, and overall athleticism to replicate his former teammate's style of play. Tate and Agnew speak the same language when it comes to eluding opponents during a punt or kick return.
Now, for Agnew, it’s learning how to translate those skills to Bevell’s offense whenever he may be used.
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