Things haven't been great for Tate, but WR says wait

RENTON – Some folks would have you believe that with roster cut downs looming, Golden Tate has one foot out the door of the Seattle Seahawks’ facility

But don’t bet on it.

The Seahawks have to cut down from 80 players to the team’s final, 53-man roster for the opening of the regular season by 3 p.m. Saturday.

Tate, a second-year receiver out of Notre Dame, certainly has had his share of struggles during exhibition play, including a pair of costly drops – one that turned into an interception return for a touchdown against Minnesota.

But coach Pete Carroll lauded Tate before training camp started as one of the players he had high expectations for this season, and he doesn’t appear ready to give up on the team’s second-round pick from last year. Carroll expects Tate to play a lot in the league’s final exhibition game tonight against Oakland.

“Our expectations are still high,” Carroll said. “We haven’t lost that at all. He continues to do good things. He’s going to get a lot of play time in this game. This is an important game for him, he’ll get a lot of air time here.

“He’s just a good competitor, a tough guy who makes good catches and can run with the ball. We just need to keep getting it together.”

Tate is tied for sixth on the team with four receptions for 24 yards during exhibition play. Rookie receivers Doug Baldwin, Kris Durham and Ricardo Lockette all have made an impression on the Seattle coaches and front office with their performances in games and in practice, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Tate.

Right now, if Seattle kept six receivers, there are perhaps six other guys competing for the final two spots. Sidney Rice, Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu and Durham likely have secured spots on the roster already.

“It’s very competitive,” Tate said. “Every day we come out here and compete to get each other better. But my biggest thing is I know I can make plays. The organization knows I can make plays, so I’m just working on just learning this as fast as I can, and doing things right. And then once I get that down my ability can take over, and I’ll be using my fundamentals along with my ability. And that will help separate me from other players. I’m just trying to focus on getting better each day.”

Tate didn’t play a lot against Denver last week because Carroll wanted to get Obomanu some work as the team’s slot receiver in three-receiver sets. But with Rice (shoulder), Mike Williams (toe) and Obomanu (head) all nursing injuries and likely not available tonight, Tate and Durham should get the nod as the starting receivers with the first unit.

Seattle also has financial obligations to consider. Tate agreed to a four-year, $3.261 million deal last year as a rookie, which included a $1 million signing bonus and a total of $1.471 million in guaranteed money, so the team will likely want some sort of return on its investment.

Tate says all he needs is an opportunity.

“I definitely think I’m getting closer and closer,” Tate said. “I’m still learning the position. At the end of the day, you still have to remember this is my second year. And we were locked out the whole offseason, which would have been very pivotal for me.

“So I’m just still trying to learn it all, stay positive. And when I get my reps in practice, I really try to make them count. And just keep working. There’s a lot of things that happen in the game of football with injuries, trades and cuts – all of that stuff. And I think my time will come soon.”

Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437 eric.williams@thenewstribune.com blogs.thenewstribune.com/seahawks

TODAY

Exhibition: Seattle at Oakland, 7:30 p.m., Ch. 5, 710-AM