Running back Ben Tate is on his way to Detroit for a Tuesday workout with the Lions, a source tells ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
Tate, 26, was long viewed as one of the best running backs in the NFL without a starting job. When he broke free from being Arian Foster‘s understudy, however, he did not impress. After signing with the Browns, Tate was leapfrogged on the depth chart by rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Tate was bounced in November and picked up off waivers by the Vikings, but his stint only lasted until week 7.
The former Auburn standout received one more opportunity in the postseason, signing with the Steelers and seeing five carries in Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss to the Ravens. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, and – unsurprisingly – he’s generating much less interest this offseason than he did a year ago. Tate worked out for Dallas back in May but didn’t land a deal, despite their murky running back situation.
For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.