Lions fill No. 2 WR void, sign Tate to five-year deal

Golden Tate is headed for Detroit. (USATSI)

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The Detroit Lions have officially locked up a No. 2 wide receiver for the next half decade. Former Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate has agreed to terms on a deal with Detroit, the team announced on Wednesday. Tate confirmed the news on his official Twitter page.

Wow I'm officially a Detroit #Lion. Extremely excited about the opportunity to grow with this organization.

— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) March 12, 2014

The five-year contract is worth $31 million overall and includes $13.25 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN.com.

With Tate, the Lions will get a much needed No. 2 receiver to take some pressure off of Calvin Johnson. Megatron led the Lions with 1,492 receiving yards in 2013, but he was the only Detroit wide receiver who went over 500 yards last year.

The only other two players to go over the 500-yard receiving mark in Detroit last season were running backs Joique Bell (547) and Reggie Bush (506).

Nate Burleson filled the role of No. 2 wide receiver during his first two seasons with the team (2010-11), but over the past two years, Burleson has had trouble staying healthy. Burleson had only played in 15 out of 32 games since 2012 and the Lions released him in February.

Staying healthy hasn't been a problem for Tate. The 25-year-old has played in 47 of the Seahawks past 48 regular season games dating back to 2011.

Tate caught 64 passes for 898 yards and five touchdowns for Seattle in 2013, leading the Seahawks in both receptions and receiving yards. The five touchdown catches were tied Doug Baldwin and Zach Miller for the most on the team.

The former second-round draft pick can also do some damage on special teams. Tate was the NFL's second-leading punt returner in 2013 with 585 yards, a number that trailed only Dexter McCluster. As a team, the Lions only had 392 punt return yards last season.

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UPDATE: Browns sign WR Andrew Hawkins to 4-year offer sheet; will Bengals match it?



Andrew Hawkins is close to taking his talents from Ohio to another place in Ohio.Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that the Browns have signed the restricted free agent to a four-year offer sheet. As a restricted free agent, the Bengals now have seven days to match the offer and retain Hawkins or let him go play for their AFC North rival. And because Hawkins was given an original-pick tender, the Bengals will receive no compensation if they lose the undrafted slot receiver.Hawkins turned 28 years old yesterday.Update: Ulrich reports, via a source that the offer sheet is worth $12.2 million over four seasons. It includes $4 million guaranteed. It's more than six times the value of Hawkins' tender offer ($1.45 million).



This is a relatively low-risk, high-reward maneuver by the Browns. Cleveland is really hurting at wide receiver past Josh Gordon. Greg Little hasn't come close to living up to his talent. Travis Benjamin is better as a returner than a receiver. They released Davone Bess last week.But Hawkins could definitely cure some ails. He is a big-play threat out of the slot. His lack of size -- 5-foot-7, 180 pounds -- leaves him susceptible to injury; he missed half of the 2013 season due to an ankle injury. But he averaged 16.6 yards per catch in limited time and posted a couple of 50-yard touchdown plays in 2012. Putting his speed on the same side of the field with Gordon could cause major headaches for defenses. We'll see if that's an actual possibility in seven days.