If you can only keep 1 long term: Tate or Baldwin?

It would probably be very possible to keep both for next season because Baldwin is a RFA, but in 2015 I doubt the team would be able to continue to pay Harvin and Tate (on his new long term deal) while also giving Baldwin a long term extension when he is a UFA. Maybe not, but lets just assume that paying all 3 in 2015 winds up being problematic for the purposes of the discussion.

For me, its not an easy choice: Baldwin stays. I really like Tate, he can make big plays, he rarely gets hurt. He's been on the team 4 years. He was arguably the best player for the Seahawks in both St Louis games this season. Athletically he is a step above Baldwin. But Tate can also pull a pretty damn maddening disappearing act in big games when a good CB is on him.

Baldwin is Mr. Consistent. He can get open and make very difficult catches. He's fairly matchup-proof. When Russell needs a big time play from a WR, more often than not Baldwin is there for him. Baldwin also seems far less prone to the invisible games that Tate occasionally has. Very tough choice, but Baldwin is the guy I'd rather have long term if the choice must be made.

I picked ADB because I feel like Tate overlaps with Harvin a bit.

It's a very close call.

It has to be Tate because hes much more dynamic.

It IS a tough call. But for me it's Baldwin. Tate has had some great plays and great games for us but for whatever reasons I've just never been all in on him and I am leary of the money that he might command. I want to see a long run with this team and some wise and tough choices are going to have to be made.

But I wonder about the timing of this question. So many base so much on a game by game status. Baldwin had the better game in the SB with that extra effort TD.

As you mentioned, Baldwin is more of a constant than Tate. Yeah, he lacks Tates extreme over the top plays, but also his extreme lows (disappearing). I'd go with the reliable one, Baldwin.

Baldwin without a doubt. Baldwin has had so many key 3rd down conversions and Russell has faith in him. He reminds me a lot of a better Bobby Engram.

It's a weighted argument because Baldwin will get somewhere around 2m a year with a 2nd round tender being a RFA and Tate will get somewhere between 5-6m probably.

Tate is dynamic and gets more YAC than anyone. He returns punts and embodies our personality as a team. He also disappears at times.

Baldwin is consistent and a great #3. He's an underdog and plays bigger than he is. He's more of a possession guy and may get pushed to the #4 spot if we draft a big WR which I think we will.

I love them both but if I'm picking one without consideration of money, I'd have to go with Tate. Guy is beastmode at the WR position.

Just think about our skill positions on offense. Lynch is the most feared RB in the league, no one wants a piece of him. Tate and Harvin are both very physical WR's and initiate contact and like to run over people. As a defensive player in this league, this is one offense you probably want no part of due to the run first mentality and the physicality of the skill positions.

The Delf":pz75dacb said:

As you mentioned, Baldwin is more of a constant than Tate. Yeah, he lacks Tates extreme over the top plays, but also his extreme lows (disappearing). I'd go with the reliable one, Baldwin.

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Dude when you are without Rice AND Harvin youre going to have players disappear and both Tate and Baldwin experienced that at different times.

Baldwin

Tates cool n all, but I think he does a lot of things without any awareness, like having a first down then jumping backwards across the line...

Baldwin is more of a constant because he plays in the slot and sees more 1 on 1 coverage. tate plays the edge and this year had a ton of double teams - which he can't deal with.

they are remarkably similar but I would have to give it to Tate. He is a little more dynamic with the ball and a little better in the air.

I am not sure if he can play the slot though and find holes like Baldwin.

I'm not sure why the question is so common around here. They both play WR but they play different roles at the position. They don't replace each other, at least not in our offense. Out of our WR position, I'd say the largest risk of not coming back belongs to Rice. I think they will let Tate test the market and the end up signing him to a deal that favors us a little. I don't see anyone overpaying him too much. Baldwin is a RFA and we will tender him a decent offer. I don't see him leaving either. Rice is the odd man out here. I think Rice either restructures or we go get a big receiver somewhere else...possibly the draft.

kidhawk":1yrtjale said:

I'm not sure why the question is so common around here. They both play WR but they play different roles at the position. They don't replace each other, at least not in our offense. Out of our WR position, I'd say the largest risk of not coming back belongs to Rice. I think they will let Tate test the market and the end up signing him to a deal that favors us a little. I don't see anyone overpaying him too much. Baldwin is a RFA and we will tender him a decent offer. I don't see him leaving either. Rice is the odd man out here. I think Rice either restructures or we go get a big receiver somewhere else...possibly the draft.

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I think the question is valid because I believe that if Tate is re-signed, depending on the size of his contract, the team is very likely forced to let Baldwin walk in 2015. Maybe the market for Tate isn't great and his next contract with the Seahawks is very manageable...great. I think he is going to get paid well by someone though.

It's not about who plays which individual WR position. Its about dollars, and how much it would cost to have Harvin, Tate, and Baldwin under contract in 2015 and whether that will be possible. What happens with Tate and Baldwin this offseason will go a long way towards determining that.

FargoHawk":2wn7abwc said:

Baldwin without a doubt. Baldwin has had so many key 3rd down conversions and Russell has faith in him. He reminds me a lot of a better Bobby Engram.

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Not sure how he's better than Engram...Engram was money. But if Baldwin can be the new Engram, that's certainly a good thing. I voted Baldwin. I think we let Tate walk.

Different players and I kinda agree with TDOT.

Tate is far superior as a runner after the catch but has a tendency to body catch, alot. Baldwin has the best hands on this team... maybe the best in 5 years. But DB isn't very physical and can get taken out of the play when a quicker db is on him.

Baldwin has the benefit of mismatches when he lines up in the slot. Tate consistently draws the number 1 defender and at times he sees double teams.

Missing_Clink":15etp4fq said:

kidhawk":15etp4fq said:

I'm not sure why the question is so common around here. They both play WR but they play different roles at the position. They don't replace each other, at least not in our offense. Out of our WR position, I'd say the largest risk of not coming back belongs to Rice. I think they will let Tate test the market and the end up signing him to a deal that favors us a little. I don't see anyone overpaying him too much. Baldwin is a RFA and we will tender him a decent offer. I don't see him leaving either. Rice is the odd man out here. I think Rice either restructures or we go get a big receiver somewhere else...possibly the draft.

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I think the question is valid because I believe that if Tate is re-signed, depending on the size of his contract, the team is very likely forced to let Baldwin walk in 2015. Maybe the market for Tate isn't great and his next contract with the Seahawks is very manageable...great. I think he is going to get paid well by someone though.

It's not about who plays which individual WR position. Its about dollars, and how much it would cost to have Harvin, Tate, and Baldwin under contract in 2015 and whether that will be possible. What happens with Tate and Baldwin this offseason will go a long way towards determining that.

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There are way too many variables to say that right now. We don't know how many inexpensive draft picks will be selected in which positions. That's two complete drafts between now and then. We also have the all to real issue of injuries that could see higher priced players cut due to lack of production (See the possibility of losing Rice this year). We still have yet to see if Harvin's hip is going to survive a full season. If he has issues through next year, he may not be around in 2015. Right now it's hard enough to try to guess which players will survive this off season, let alone through 2015. I don't think it's bad to talk about the future, but I just don't think that our front office is looking at these guys as an either or. Each contract is done individually with the team's future in mind. There are too many scenarios that can keep both of them and too many scenarios where we could lose both of them to make this an either or type deal IMO

I like Tate. He's a tough kid that isn't afraid to lower his shoulder to get more yards after the carry, and I think he's going to keep getting better as he matures.

I said Tate but I am about 50.01/49.99 on this one. I said Tate because he has that certain elusive quality to gain YAC like a madman. His high pointing ability is amazing at times combined with his Blocking ability and his ST value. That and I, like a few others on here cant help but think of him as a slightly slower version of Harvin. And I have to believe that no one wants to deal with both of them at full health. That being said, Doug was so frigging clutch down the stretch and in the SB that it would kill me to release him at this point. He's healthy and he's lethal and he sure as hell isn't pedestrian!


Now about those Tight ends?

I love how Baldwin plays the game - but Tate is the better player IMO.

MidwestHawker":7sg1m0fm said:

FargoHawk":7sg1m0fm said:

Baldwin without a doubt. Baldwin has had so many key 3rd down conversions and Russell has faith in him. He reminds me a lot of a better Bobby Engram.

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Not sure how he's better than Engram...Engram was money. But if Baldwin can be the new Engram, that's certainly a good thing. I voted Baldwin. I think we let Tate walk.

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Engram had the dropsies at the worst times - see the 2004 playoff game against the Rams.

Baldwin is a top three or four slot receiver. Guys like that are crucial to keeping drives going on third down. I would take him over Tate if I had to pick without thinking about it, and I like Tate and what he brings to the team.