New England Patriots third-round wide receiver Brandon Tate has agreed to a four-year contract that includes a $755,000 signing bonus, according to Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe.
Tate, who reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine and is recovering from torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, is the Patriots' fifth draft pick to sign a contract.
Tate hasn't had much to say about his infraction with the league's drug testing policy, limiting his remarks to this succinct explanation: "I know I made a mistake."
Tate was a record-setting return man at North Carolina with 3,523 combined punt and kickoff return yards. For his career, Tate averaged 20.2 yards per catch.
However, his injuries could cause Tate to spend this season on injured reserve.
Meanwhile, the agent for Patriots second-round offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer confirmed that Vollmer has signed his rookie contract.
"We are very pleased with the deal and getting Sebastian into camp on time and focused on football," Vollmer's agent, Leonard Roth, told us via e-mail.
Judging by the last two stories Wilson's shift at the 7-11 must have recently ended
Can't wait to see what this kid brings. I hope he is able to be ready for this year.
Not sure where Tate is with his rehab, but it sounds like the odds are he'll start the regular season on the PUP list. However, he'll be eligible to practice (legally) with the team after Week 6. That would be a bit more than a year after his surgery. The way the Pats have hyped and invested in this guy, if he's even close to being good to go, my guess is that they keep him off IR so he can train with Moss, Galloway, Welker, Brady, etc., at least until the Week 9 deadline for activation.
It's entirely possible that he could be getting some live game snaps by November, maybe even contributing in December and January and (hopefully) February.