Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com reports Matt Hasselback and Pete Carroll like what they have seen of Golden Tate despite bonehead blunders. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck hit rookie receiver Golden Tate on a pass during today's practice on a play that looked great -- except that Tate didn't run the play that was called. "He ran the absolute wrong route," Hasselbeck said. "But he was open, and I threw it to him and he made a great play. So in a lot of ways, you can just tell his head is swimming." Tate was one of the best receivers in college football at Notre Dame, and as the Seahawks' second-round draft pick, he's being counted on not only to make plays, but to run the right play. Tate knows that OTAs are more about getting up to speed mentally than showing off his physical skills. "I'm just trying to learn," Tate said. "I know that I can play ball, I'm just trying to learn it and play fast. Once I learn it, I can play faster and understand what's going on a little better. The thing is, when you don't know what you're doing you play unsure." Source: theredzone.org
He's not struggling in the traditional sense. He's outjumping the DBs, going over the middle, high pointing the football and making good cuts. He is just getting confused with the differences in the route tree between Notre Dame and Seattle's playbooks. It won't take him too long to correct this. He's definitely got the physical tools and mental capability to succeed.
I really like what he said in the article though. He admitted he's learning and understands that he's playing unsure until he get's it figured out. Well said....that shows a little maturity in my eyes. He definitely was a playmaker at ND and if he's got a head on his shoulders he'll make it in NFL.
