LA Rams: Should the team actually sign FA WR Golden Tate?

The LA Rams have another decision to make regarding adding a free agent who wants to play for the LA Rams. Even though my friend and colleague Bret Stuter made some valid points against the supposed idea that the Rams could be interested in signing wide receiver (WR) Golden Tate, I would like to play Devil’s Advocate over the possibility that the LA Rams may indeed sign him. Last year’s matchup against the New York Giants ended with a team brawl due to a personal issue between Tate and cornerback Jalen Ramsey boiling over right after the Rams 17-9 victory in week four.

Even though I don’t have any breaking news on the relationship between these two players, I would argue Tate putting the Rams on his wish list could signal things have cleared up. They have a pretty sticky personal history, so unlike the Julio Jones sweepstakes, it might be best for management to check in with Ramsey this time around if they are in fact interested.

Assuming Ramsey gives the okay, management would then need to decide if they can afford a roster spot and cap space for another receiver, when the team admittedly has weaknesses at other positions on the roster. If all checks out upstairs, they may turn to yet another player, quarterback Matthew Stafford to see what he thinks about the idea of being reunited with one of his favorite targets while he was in Detroit.

For those who might point to Tate’s recent statistics and wonder if he is worth a look, I would argue he still could be very productive with a different quarterback than Daniel Jones. Desean Jackson’s last couple of seasons look pretty bad on paper too, and the Rams just committed up to  $4.8 million on him this off season, while letting a younger and more productive receiver leave for less money (WR Josh Reynolds signed with the Tennessee Titans for $1.8 million). I have a feeling the Rams were willing to take the chance on Desean Jackson, (and WR Tutu Atwell in the draft) due to management trying to construct an efficient offensive strategy around Stafford.

It’s hard predicting this eccentric front office, but if Tate comes cheap enough, it could be a valuable addition to the roster. Even though he probably isn’t the player he once was, he obviously has chemistry with Stafford and could be another reason opposing secondaries are worried about the Rams in 2021.