New York Giants: Golden Tate needs to avoid creating bulletin board material

The New York Giants aren’t favorites to win their division this season. It isn’t smart to add more fuel to the fire with comments from new teammates.

As training camp is only a few days away, the New York Giants are focused on rebuilding the team with players that will buy into the system and avoid distractions. Odell Beckham Jr. was often criticized for his bold comments that could eventually disrupt the team on or off the field. His replacement Golden Tate probably didn’t get the memo as his confession regarding a favorite quarterback might rub a division rival the wrong way.

Tate is heading into his first season with the Giants, and after signing with the team for a few years, he is expected to fill the void left by Beckham. The former Notre Dame college football star had plenty to say while speaking with a local Detroit website about his time with the Detroit Lions. He was quick to praise his time in Detroit and say plenty of nice things about quarterback Matthew Stafford.

"“Stafford’s been the best quarterback I’ve played with, The guy can flat out play, he’s tough, and his attitude is amazing and he just wants to play ball. For me I have nothing but praises for him.”"

"“It’s almost unfair that he’s such a good player and doesn’t have playoffs or a ring to show for it,” Tate said. “That kind of hurts my heart that I wasn’t able to help change that. I think over his career, if you put him in another organization, maybe things are different. I don’t know. I played with some guys over my years that I’ve won playoff games with that I don’t think are as good.”"

Tate has played with two Super Bowl champion quarterbacks other than Stafford, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles. The apparent division influence will come from the Eagles who the Giants play their standard two games a season against including a matchup in Philadelphia.

Eagles fans are good at finding things to pick on their opponents about during any game. The players in their locker room will be even more enthusiastic about defending Wentz’s honor on the field.

There is nothing wrong with praising a former teammate at any level but to do it at the expense of others is a bad look for the veteran receiver. Stafford helped Tate earn his lone Pro Bowl appearance, but he did play with other great signal-callers that have won the game’s ultimate prize. Chemistry is usually the culprit in these situations, but Tate probably missed that notion while going on his praise rant for Stafford’s excellence.

Tate is heading into year one with the Giants and fans can only hope he feels the same optimism for Eli Manning during his tenure.