More Tate Fallout: Seahawks Need Two WRs Now, Wishlist Time
By Josh Davis
Nov 1, 2013; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Brandin Cooks (7) races down the sideline against USC Trojans safety Leon McQuay III (22) in the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
This is going to be very subjective, but there is certainly a need for at least two more high-potential receivers with Golden Tate and Sidney Rice officially moved on. I mean sure they are signing Taylor Price (who?) and Chris Matthews is now on the roster, but come on, these are the World Champs! No offense (and no pun intended) but those two guys just won’t cut it on an already belittled receiving corps.
These two big (or surprise-not-so-big) names could come via free agency, the draft, or more likely a combination of both. Being that the Seahawks have a recent history for waiting deep in FA to pluck a guy whose value has fallen, we can expect that here. Therefore I have a bit of a wishlist of some hopefully realistic guys that I think would fit best. I’m sure many of you will disagree and have excellent choices in place of my picks, so don’t be afraid to throw together a wishlist of your own in the comments.
January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Austin Collie (10) against the Denver Broncos in the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
5. Austin Collie (via FA from Patriots): Collie would be a great fit for this offense in my opinion. He has reliable hands and is a solid route runner with a great background with offenses in Indy and New England that had some elite piers for him to learn from.
For all the things Tate did for this offense making difficult catches down the field and in traffic, the Hawks really missed that consistent over-the-middle presence last season. Collie would be just that, though if I remember correctly he has some concussion history which is concerning.
For the record I thought about Julian Edleman here but I’m not sure his value is low enough for the Hawks to afford if they are to bring in another No. 1-type receiver via the draft. I also think Edleman moves before Collie, which is another reason he is a more realistic pick here.