The Detroit Lions made a splash at the NFL trade deadline this year that certainly got their fans’ attention. They traded away locker room leader and fan favorite wide receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2019 third round draft pick. Not only was Tate a much liked player by everyone in Detroit, but he was also a major focal point of the Lions’ passing offense.
On the season, quarterback Matthew Stafford has attempted 253 passes and completed 171 of those passes. Of the 253 pass attempts Tate has been targeted 69 times; which means that when Stafford dropped back to pass Tate got a target about 27 percent of the time.