was a disgruntled employee and that is why he was traded to the eagles. after reading the Mlive article about the Lions being a dysfunctional and free agents don’t want to come here because of Patricia, Makes me think the Tate may have been that guy or one of. https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/03/agents-say-matt-patricia-locker-room-dysfunction-make-detroit-one-of-the-worst-destinations-for-players.html
They certainly seem to be brooming out a lot of the talkers from the Caldwell days and replacing them with guys they think have a similar mindset as them.
If the players can’t get behind a coach then let them leave. I don’t think anything that Patricia did in training camp was bad and it sounds like a lot of guys are soft. Just because you make the NFL doesn’t mean it is all lifting weights and showing up on game day.
The fact that the defense improved in the second half of the season, shows to me that Patricia is doing something right. The offense on the other had has been a mess.
2 Likes
No, I don’t think Tate in particular was a problem.
This is such poor journalism. Take what you hear from an agent with a grain of salt. They almost always talk anonymously and always have an angle.
2 Likes
Well, not sure if it was or wasn’t Tate but there were a lot of rumblings about players pissin and moaning about how Patricia was running things. This is well documented not just in the above article but in others as well.
I think there was a stark contrast between how Caldwell ran things and The Patriot Way. When that happens, millionaire athletes tend to have the feels hurt.
2 Likes
Yes this, but I also think Tate was an issue and I thought that all along.
I previously read that the coaching staff (Caldwell) asked him to tone down the hot dogging and he never did. There was also scuttle that the Eagles were questioning certain aspects about Tate and the trade last year.
Tate is a good receiver with good skills and a quirky sense of humor. I generally like that kind of person on the job, but it often rubs people the wrong way. He is fairly arrogant it seems to me. Right or wrong, he is who he is.
I said last year after the trade, I do believe Tate was one of the malcontents. The Dallas game did Tate in.
Remember that game, Tate busted a long TD and hot dogged into the end zone. Patricia went over and gave him a hug and a talking to. Later Tate busted off another long TD and hot dogged in again. After the game, Tate said Patricia came over after the first TD to congratulate him and tell him to get to the end zone first before celebrating. Tate then proceeded to do it again, and you could see Patricia was pissed
For a vet player to blatantly ignore the head coach, and do his own thing was a bad look. You cant as a coach establish a culture with guys ignoring you and doing their own thing. Tate was a good player, but i dont think he was a good fit in a Patricia locker room
1 Like
Hoping Amendola can replace his much-needed toughness! Amendola’s gonna be a really good Patricia supporter, and locker room presence. Hope he can stay healthy enough to lead on the field as well.
Lots of interesting X-factors this offseason.
Tate going to Giants on a 4 year, 37.5 million deal. A reunion was highly unlikely, anyway.
1 Like
Yep, he’d also show stafford up on what he would think was a poor pass from stafford, like either tossing his arms out to the side or just stop running and drop his arms and kind of slouch looking at where the ball went.
1 Like
I rewatched the highlight to that Dallas game from youtube and he did hotdog. People say let them have fun. Well, how do you think that makes the other team feel. I say the other teams gets pissed when they see that shit and dig deeper to kick your ass, as is the case with the Dallas game. Just score your TD and be happy. Don’t give fuel to the other team by taunting or acting all that. Stupid
It wasnt even the having fun so much. Tate held the ball out, and then windmilled his arm into the end zone. The ball couldve popped out, been swiped at, etc. Lots of things that could go wrong, when all he had to do was wait one more second. Im sure that was Patricia’s point.
Remember the Chicago game, where the player reached out for the pylon but lost control off the ball and it went out of bounds. Not only did he not score, but the rule is if the ball hits the pylon and goes out, its a touchback for the other team. They lost the score, lost possession and spotted Green Bay 25 yards in one shot.
Now, take into account that after Patricia gives Tate an instruction, Tate immediately goes out and does it again. Now, thats an issue. Your HC gave you instruction, and you basically give him the finger back. Add on that Patricia is a rookie HC, and struggling with earning locker room respect, and one of the established vets goes out and immediately shows he is not paying attention
To me, the Tate trade was more about a lack of leadership, and needing to get guys who can follow instructions in the locker room. I still think Tate is a good player, but if you can’t or won’t respect the HC, I dont care the talent level that team is a failure waiting to happen
2 Likes
Hmm.
To me, it was getting rid of a contract before we lost it for nothing, but OK.
1 Like
Yeah. I thought it was a good deal because we were getting a 3rd round pick for 7-9 games. Not because he showed off. That didn’t bother me. It was just Tate’s personality. I just was happy with the deal.
All of the above.
Remember the Vikings game in 2016 in OT? Tate caught a pass for a TD to end the game but he did a flip at the 2 yard line and put his ass into the Viking’s safety’s face. It was really funny but he easily could have fumbled that ball.
Remember. I went crazy. I was laughing my face off.
1 Like
Bottom line is he’s gone now.