I do think Golden Tate would be a good addition for the Lions. He is relatively young, has outstanding speed and there is still room for him to grow as a receiver. I doubt he has played his best football yet. The question is a matter of cost.
I don't know if he would have come here. It's likely premier safety Jarius Byrd would have chosen New Orleans based on reputation anyway. But he was the one true differencemaker there for the Lions. It gets back to the issue of Ndamukong Suh. His ridiculous $22.4 million salary cap hit and the inability to get a contract extension done by the start of the free agency signing period is clearly handcuffing the Lions.
I'm not sure if that says more about the Lions or Suh, who vastly overpaid based on his production (223rd in the league in tackles, 63rd in sacks in '13). You'd think there would be a sense of urgency on both sides so they could clear space to improve the Lions for the 2014 season. Evidently there isn't, and it is inexcusable.