DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns sign Ben Tate.

This league has some bizarre hatred for scatbacks I simply can't understand. Ooo running up the middle, how impressive. feh. Give me 70 yard touchdowns and explosive speed any day.

I'd personally have started Lewis and traded a 6th for Bryce Brown. Also Jerome Harrison was the best running back we've had since the return

I truly believe we could sign anyone at RB and not notice much of a difference. The only mistake you can make at running back is playing a guy who is old and slow (McGahee), fumbles a lot (Oggy), or has mind bogglingly bad vision (T Rich).

All my whining aside, I like Tate. It is a good signing and mitigates some risk of Lewis coming back from injury or hoping a UDFA will be able to perform. Or worst of all drafting a RB before the 4th round *shudder*

Well this league may have some bizarre hatred for scatbacks, but Browns fans have some bizarre love for Jerome Harrison.

I like scat backs, but would you start Darren Sproles and give him 15-20 carries a game? My guess is no.

They (scatbacks) can't run between the tackles consistently or effectively. Sorry, but that is the way it is. I think they are undervalued breed but can't be relied on as a feature back.

I think Dion Lewis can play a major role, but it is not as a starting RB, IMO.

Welcome to the Browns, Mister Tate. Best of luck! Make me cheer. Let's win a few, eh?

If you didn't run inside the OTs you would have all play the triangle on the corners.

Got to pound and draw people in. If you are talking about stretching the field horizontally...yes yes definitely Horizontal and Vertical stretch is the Narvana of the Offense

Scat backs have impact in space. You of course have to create that space.

jc

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-cen...89-80bdaf337374

Really like this pick-up.

He should be a great fit for Shanny's system.

Ben Tate Highlights...........

http://www.youtube.com/v/SBx7AtepnPU

Ben Tate wants to prove to the Browns and everybody else that he can be an elite back

New Browns running back Ben Tate comes to town with fresh legs and a desire to prove he can be among the league’s elite at his position.

Sitting behind Arian Foster in Houston, and because of injuries over his four-year career, Tate, 25, has never been a workhorse back. Now he expects to get that chance.

“I feel now that I’m given this opportunity, I can be considered one of the top backs in the league,” Tate said on a conference call on Saturday. I feel I can be top 10, top 8, top 5 running back. I feel like my play will speak for itself next year. Everybody have their own opinion and after I play everyone will agree to what I said.”

Tate signed a contract for two years, reportedly for up to $7 million, after spending three days in Cleveland meeting coaches and interacting with Browns fans through his Twitter account.

The economical contract reflects concern about Tate’s durability – he missed 16 games his rookie season with a broken ankle, four in 2012 with hamstring and foot problems, and two last season after playing several games with four cracked ribs.

The team-friendly deals also reflects on the poor market running backs currently find themselves in as teams throw money at quarterbacks, receivers and linemen.

“I think in the grand scheme of things they know it’s important,” Tate said. They know how those teams won games in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Right now, I feel they think they can get away with not giving us running backs our real worth.

“They’re not paying running backs what they’re really worth because maybe they just think they don’t need that one guy, they can just plug in anybody and let them do it. I think some teams are finding out that’s not true. If you’re going to be a real contender, you do need that guy.”

Tate said he had other visits lined up and the Browns were aware of two other teams that were interested in him. He said he stretched his visit over three days to get a deal done with the Browns because he felt it was his best opportunity.

“I feel with the pieces already here, the offenseive line and their plans for free agency and the draft, this was going to be the best opportunity for me to succeed and help turn this thing around and take it to another level,” Tate said.

Tate’s one-cut-and-go running style fits the offensive system of new coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who was previously mentored under ex-Texans coach Gary Kubiak in Houston.

“He does things a little different from Coach Kubiak,” Tate said. “His offense has a few tweaks to it. It’s a good scheme. I like it because they find the running backs are important. They hand you the ball, they throw you the ball. He likes to use them and I felt that gave me an advantage.”

What kind of runner are the Browns getting?

“I run hard, I feel I’m explosive, I feel I can make guys miss and get to the open field,” Tate said. “I feel if it’s third-and-1 and I have to go 1-on-1 with a linebacker, I can do that as well. I feel I can do everything there is to do. I can catch the ball out of the backfield. I’m a three-down back. I’d say I’m a complete back.”

http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=29861

thanks for posting this stuff dawgs..

I know I am late to the party but I have been hoping for this signing since FA began.

now get Moats
Cromartie
Unarwari (sp)

will be interesting to see what the final numbers are and how the insentives line up- but this looks like a great signing for the Browns. It fills a need and it did not break the bank.

His injuries we're busted ribs, ankle injury & hammy. Nothing to indicate long term or debilitating injuries. IMHO, health is not an issue and he's a great fit for the system.

I definitely think the FO approached this with the right amount of caution. Tate is talented and young. If he can avoid injury he's a great addition. I also think it shows that this FO can be prudent. I'm absolutely confident that another RB will be added in the draft.

On a different slant I'm including the blog entry from the official Browns' website. Mainly for those who repeatedly say that FA's don't want to come to the Browns.

Link

Ben Tate on joining the Cleveland Browns: 'I really wanted to be here'
Posted 3 hours ago

Vic Carucci
Senior Editor
@viccarucci Facebook
The Cleveland Browns continued their methodical approach to free agency by addressing another critical need with Saturday’s signing of former Houston Texans running back Ben Tate.


Ben Tate's history with offensive Kyle Shanahan makes him an ideal fit for the Browns' offense

The Cleveland Browns continued their methodical approach to free agency by addressing another critical need with Saturday’s signing of former Houston Texans running back Ben Tate.
Not only were the Browns able to find help for an area in which they finished tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 27th in the NFL last season, they also added a player who is an ideal fit for their offense.
“It’s something that I've been waiting for for a long time,” Tate said during a conference call with reporters covering the Browns. “I’m just ready to grab this opportunity and run with it and show everyone what I’m all about.”

Although Tate said there were two other NFL teams interested in signing him. He said he had other free-agent visits lined up, but chose to remain in Cleveland the past two days to complete a deal with the Browns.
“In the grand scheme of things, I really wanted to be here,” Tate said. “At the end of the day, I thought this was going to be the best opportunity for me. I felt the pieces that were already here, offensive-line wise, and their plans in free agency and the draft, so I felt it was just going to be the best opportunity for me to help turn this thing around and take it to another level.”
Tate, 25, was the most accomplished running back in the open market with experience in the outside zone-blocking run scheme of new Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who oversaw a similar system employed by former Texans coach Gary Kubiak while serving as Houston’s offensive coordinator when Tate was on the team.
Tate excels in the “one-cut” running style that is imperative to the scheme’s success, meaning that as he starts the play to the outside behind the lateral flow of the line, he has a good feel and sense of timing for when to cut in the opposite direction and find a seam through which he can run.
“It’s pretty similar,” he said. “His offense has some different tweaks from it. It’s a good scheme because they find that running backs are important. I know how he uses running backs.”
Tate becomes the fifth player to join the Browns since the NFL’s free-agency signing period began Tuesday. The others are linebacker Karlos Dansby, strong safety Donte Whitner, cornerback Isaiah Trufant, and tight end Jim Dray.
Since joining the Texans as a second-round draft pick from Auburn in 2010 (58th overall), the 5-foot-10, 220-pound Tate has averaged 4.7 yards per carry. He ranked third on the Texans’ all-time rushing list with 1,992 yards in 40 games. Tate also appeared in three playoff games with Houston.
He has rushed for 10 career touchdowns – tying a franchise record with three against the New England Patriots last Dec. 1 – and has five career 100-yard rushing games. In addition, Tate is a weapon in the passing game, with 58 career receptions for 287 yards.
In 14 games last season, including seven starts, he led the Texans with 771 rushing yards before suffering cracked ribs that landed him on the injured-reserve list.
“I run hard,” Tate said. “I feel like I’m explosive. I feel like I can make guys miss in the open field. I feel like, if it’s third down and I’ve got to go one-on-one with the linebacker, I can do that as well. I just feel like I’m a total package. I can catch the ball out of the backfield. I feel like I can do everything. I’m a three-down back. I’m just a complete back.”
A broken ankle suffered in the preseason-opener caused Tate to miss the 2010 season. But he came roaring back the next year with a career-best 942 rushing yards and a 5.4-yards-per-carry average.
Tate is looking forward to emerging from the shadow of Texans star running back Arian Foster.
“It was tough, it was very tough,” he said. “Because when you’re stuck behind someone like that, it’s tough to really showcase your talent on a consistent basis. It’s tough because you can’t be seen. You can’t show everyone what you can do, so that’s why everyone doesn’t know your full worth.”
Tate intends to demonstrate as much as a member of the Browns.
>>Be sure to tune in Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, for “Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford” on ESPN 850 WKNR or catch the live stream right here on ClevelandBrowns.com.
>>Have a question for “Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford”? Ask me at Twitter.com/viccarucci or by e-mail at daily@clevelandbrowns.com or by calling 855-363-2459.

maybe its the company line...

but i don't remember this many Fa's saying they wanted to be in CLEVELAND. thats crazy. i love it!

He wanted to tweet out a location for an impromptu meetup with Browns fans but he ran out of time. I like this guy already.

I hope they allow baker and Tate to compete for the #1 back position. I really feel Baker could be a top back in this league especially in a one cut scheme.

only concern is injury history... and even when he was hurt last year with the ribs he still had a pretty good season... guy is a downhill runner with power. and with the report of a team friendly contract how can you NOT like this signing?!? to me this was the best pick up they have had so far this year.

j/c

I believe if they were going to sign Tate, it had to be laiden with incentives. In that sense, I see it as a good contract.

But I think we need to remember, even in the back-up role to Foster, Tate has been hurt every year. While I do like him when he's healthy, I believe anyone willing to gloss over or dismiss the fact he seems to get injured every year in the back up role, may be refusing to face the reality of that.

I like the way the contract is structured for the exact same reason I worry about him remaining to stay healthy.

JMHO

JC

We got padding with that kind of contract. Great job. We def did overpay for him and the length allows us to get outta it easily if he doesn't turn out to be any good/productive/injured.

Initially I was hoping we wouldn't sign him because of the injury history coupled with the fact that I figured we'd have to overpay to get him. Once Jacksonville signed Gerhart??? & Donald Brown was signed I started thinkin maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Now that we signed him for a huge value to a two year deal I am extremely excited about this. If reports are true we're paying him about the same as we signed Hawkins for, what a steal.

Bout time...

A Jim Donovan interview with Tate.

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-cen...81-741429839c8e

Solid Pick-Up, I didn't realize he was only 25 with not a lot of abuse due to his missed time.
Another guy that "wanted" to be here, we just can't discredit the desire to be a Brown from our new acquired players
Why is it every offseason sunshine & lollipops, what's scary is I really believe -LOL

I was hoping we would keep some of our own but so far what we lost we gained back. include 10 draft picks ( if we keep them all) can really put us on the talent map.
I heard a catch phrase from I think Whitner- "Cleveland Rises" that one I can gravitate too. Believeland never cut it for me. New uniforms next year, maybe I can walk around my office one day & not have everyone tell me "you say that every year"

J/c... Anyone who still thinks we may have paid too much, at $3.5 million, Tate would have the 18th-highest cap hit for running backs, or about 1/4th the top running back.

Less than 2 weeks ago, about 95% of the people who replied to what we should do about our RB position said that we should not sign Tate and draft a guy.

Why has that changed?

Tate has a long history of being injured and that was a part-time back.

Meanwhile, we lost Lava man and replaced him w/no one.

I am beginning to think Farmer and Pettine are idiots.

Farmer and Pettine went out and signed the running back that Banner and Lombardi had been targeting for a year now. It looks to me that what ever plan was in place before those 2 got theirselves fired is still in place.

I don't care who signed him. Ignoring the OL and signing Tate was freaking stupid.

This is only Free Agency, way to early to evaluate good or bad. Unfortunately we have to give the new staff time to work their plan that none of us know for sure.
We can speculate based on the moves but we don't know. Heck were not even sure they are taking a quarterback at 4, but I suspect they will.

Tate should be a good pick up, but that's not to say we don't add a RB sometime during the draft & let the competition begin

If the draft was over and they did not bring in any Olineman then I will agree with you. But, the offseason just stared Tuesday so saying they have ignored the Oline is a bit premature.

Beside they transition tageed Alex Mack to make sure he does not leave.

Quote:

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This just reeks of sour grapes.

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Oh, the irony.

Jc I don't know anything about this guy. What has he done to make it a good signing?

Been a good free agency so far!

I still think it is easier to plug in a RB than a guard.

Look, things can still work out fine. I just don't like how we are targeting skill guys and ignoring the OL and some of the comments both Pettine and Farmer have made about the QB position.

They could end up being great and I am not down on them yet. I am just concerned right now.