A year ago at this time, there were hopes Brandon Tate would be the missing piece to the Patriots offense. He turned out to be an effective kick returner and an ineffective No. 3 receiver.
Now we’re not even sure if he’ll even remain with the Patriots.
Second year player Taylor Price has outplayed Tate in camp by all accounts. Price got snaps with Tom Brady Saturday night, but Tate did not.
Tate’s return skills should be a point in his favor, but Julian Edelman may be a better option there. Special teamer Matthew Slater also has a good case to make the team.
“Third-year Patriots receiver Brandon Tate appears to be heading backward,” Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com wrote. “It now looks to me like he’ll be the odd man out in the Patriots’ receiving corps.”
There’s no way to know if Tate will be cut, but it’s hard to see him having much of a role. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear in the coming week that Tate is available in a low-cost trade.
