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The New York Giants, of course, traded Odell Beckham Jr. away to the Browns this offseason. It was the biggest move of the NFL offseason, and the Giants naturally caught a lot of flak for trading away a franchise player.
In Beckham's absence, they'll be counting on Sterling Shepard to step up. They gave Shepard a big contract extension, and now it's his time to shine. That being said, they also brought in a new big name receiver to help with the loss of Beckham. Big Blue signed Golden Tate to a four-year, $37.5 million contract with $23 million fully guaranteed back in March.
Tate spent the end of last season with the division rival Eagles after being traded from the Lions. Although the Giants threw out big money for the veteran, the folks over at ESPN's fantasy shop aren't expecting a huge year out of him. ESPN's initial projections predict Tate to finish with 67 receptions, 735 yards, and three touchdowns.
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If those numbers turn out to be accurate, it'll be the fewest receptions for Tate since the 2013 season, when he was still with the Seahawks. The 735 yards would be his fewest since the 2012 season.
Tate didn't have his best campaign last year as he dealt with multiple new head coaches in Detroit and Philly, but he'd probably object to those projections. He's still only 30, so he should still have a good amount left in the tank physically.
With Beckham gone, he'll have a clear path to plenty of targets in New York. In 2016 and 2017 he had back to back 1,000+ yard seasons, so if he stays healthy he should be able to beat these numbers.
