Philadelphia Eagles: Khalil Tate is back at quarterback
When the Philadelphia Eagles announced their undrafted free agent class in the hours following the 2020 NFL Draft, one name stood out above all of the others to eager fans looking for the next diamond in the rough: Arizona signal-caller Khalil Tate.
A four-year contributor with the Wildcats from 2016-19, Tate’s abilities to make plays with his arms and legs made him a dark horse Heisman candidate heading into the 2019 season, but a disastrous final season in Tucson all but decimated the Inglewood native’s perception both in the eyes of votes and talent evaluators alike.
Sure, Tate could still run and make plays like a YAC-happy slot receiver when out in the open field, but between the team’s lack of elite offensive playmaker and his poor fit in new head coach Kevin Sumlin’s scheme, the Inglewood native simply failed to show traits of an NFL quarterback in what proved to be a make or break year, leaving his NFL future very much in doubt.
Fortunately for Tate, there just so happens to be one NFL GM who has a soft spot for turning quarterbacks into quite literally any other position: Howie Roseman.
But alas, Tate’s transformation into the next Greg Ward was never meant to be, as the limited offseason/preseason activities of the 2020 season left little time for such projects. Though Tate did ultimately spend some time on the practice squad in 2020 and impressed the front office enough to earn a futures contract upon season’s end, his path to the opening day roster felt relatively insurmountable at wide receiver.
However, at quarterback, that, my friends, might just be a different story.
Khalil Tate presents the Philadelphia Eagles with a developmental Hurts clone.
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On Friday, April 2nd, the Philadelphia Eagles announced a series of new numbers for both free agent additions and incumbent players alike.
Is that really news news? Eh, not really, unless you happen to be the not-so-lucky owner of a number 2 Jalen Hurts jersey, but hidden inside the announcement was the actual news of Khalil Tate’s intentions to wear the number 6 should he make the Eagles’ roster in 2021.
Why, you may ask, is this relevant? Well, because in the NFL, the only players who are allowed to wear single-digit numbers are quarterbacks, kickers, and punters, and I highly doubt Tate is going to try his hand – or should I say foot – as a kickoff specialist anytime soon.
In theory, this move sort of makes sense. The Eagles are returning six wide receivers from last season – Greg Ward, Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, John Hightower, Quez Watkins, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside – and will surely address the position further in the 2021 NFL Draft, maybe even in the first round with a player like Jaylen Waddle. Even if the Eagles draft a quarterback in the mid-rounds, which isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility, Tate will enter training camp with a very legit chance to earn quality reps and, at worst, find himself on the practice squad for another season as he attempts to improve his on-field abilities.
Fun fact: The Eagles have another former quarterback attempting to learn a new position on their roster in Tyree Jackson, who will wear Quez Watkins’ old number, 80, this fall. Jackson marks the second quarterback the Eagles have signed to play the position over the last calendar year after ex-Longhorns QB Tyrone Swoopes was signed last spring, so maybe the second time’s the charm at landing the next Logan Thomas.
Factor in Tate’s athletic similarities to the Eagles’ new QB1, save for his down filed accuracy, and on paper, pairing the two quarterbacks up in a room with a proven pro-style Super Bowl MVP like Joe Flacco and whomever else the organization opts to add later this month makes a ton of sense, especially since his futures contract was agreed to when Carson Wentz was still on the roster, and Doug Pederson was still employed.
To paraphrase Marc Zumoff, talk about turning garbage into gold.
Four *new* RB2 options to consider in 2021. dark. Next
Ultimately, whether Khalil Tate makes the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster coming out of training camp will largely depend on how the team opts to address the position moving forward and how well he takes to the new coaching staff. But by switching back to his “natural” position, Tate is at least putting himself in the best position to succeed, which is all any player can really ask for when they are fighting for a bottom-of-the-roster spot.