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The Buffalo Bills have signed former Bengals wide receiver and kick returner Brandon Tate. Tate was cut by the Bengals last week during the roster cuts to 75 players. Tate played five years in Cincinnati.
Tate joins a wide receiver roster in Buffalo that includes Marquise Goodwin, Walter Powell, Greg Salas, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. As far as their return unit, the Bills were planning to roll with Reggie Bush and Powell as their returners with Salas as a backup. It seems Tate will now be a part of the equation as he joins the Bills for his eighth NFL season.
In 2015, Tate had just two receptions for 59 yards including 1 touchdown. In the return game, he had 27 punt returns for 171 yards, 0 touchdowns, a long of 18 and a 6.3 yards per return average. On kick returns, Tate had 18 returns for 413 yards including a long of 58 and a 22.9 yards per kick return average. Those numbers are ok, but nothing to write home about. Bengals rookie Alex Erickson beat out Tate for the returning duties this year, which caused Tate to lose his spot on the roster.
The Bengals play the Bills in Week 11 in Cincinnati, so assuming Tate sticks in Buffalo, the Bengals will reunite with him, though on opposite sides of the field, this year.
Tate has totaled 901 yards on 57 receptions in seven years in the NFL, five of which were in Cincinnati. His first two seasons came in New England who waived Tate prior to the 2011 season, at which point the Bengals claimed him off waivers. Tate has started 18 games during his career, which now will continue in Buffalo.