5 offensive sleepers the Vikings should target in 2021 free agency
By Dean Jones
Golden Tate – WR
2020 Team: New York Giants
Although the Vikings got some exceptional production from Adam Thielen and stud rookie Justin Jefferson in 2020, they could still use another viable option at wide receiver to further boost their chances of success moving forward. Someone who works primarily out of the slot would be beneficial, which is where a proven playmaker such as Golden Tate comes in.
Tate was recently shown the door by the New York Giants for some salary-cap relief, which will have more than a few NFL teams looking in his direction once free agency hits. Even though he is a little long in the tooth now, the Pro Bowler could still be of use in the right scheme, and there wouldn’t be that much pressure on him making a substantial difference if he joined Minnesota.
This is all about fine-tuning where the Vikings are concerned. Their failure to make the postseason in 2020 wasn’t due to their offensive numbers, which were pretty good and came on encouragingly after the bye week. So if a couple more reinforcements are brought in at key positions, then it should make all the difference.
There isn’t much that Tate hasn’t seen during his 12-year career. He is a Super Bowl winner that has accumulated 8,278 receiving yards and 46 touchdowns. So if he isn’t demanding the Earth in terms of contract length or salary, then it makes a lot of sense for Minnesota to take a look.