Lions sign WR Tate to 5-year deal

Allen Park, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Lions signed free agent wide receiver Golden Tate on Wednesday.

Tate told ESPN.com the deal was for five years and $31 million with $13.25 million guaranteed.

"Wow," Tate tweeted, "I'm officially a Detroit #Lion. Extremely excited about the opportunity to grow with this organization."

Tate also thanked Seattle fans. He played his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks after they drafted him in the second round in 2010.

This past season, the 5-foot-10 wideout set personal bests with 64 receptions for 898 yards. He caught five touchdown passes one season after hauling in a career-high seven.

Tate caught the controversial Hail Mary pass at the end of a Sept. 24, 2012 game that gave the Seahawks a 14-12 win over the Green Bay Packers and led to a boiling over of the mounting criticism against replacement officials that season.

Then-Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings appeared to have possession of the ball and two replacement officials made two different calls. Days later, the NFL and its regular referees agreed to a deal to end the league's lockout of the game officials.

Tate had three catches for 17 yards in Seattle's 43-8 win over Denver in the Super Bowl XLVIII last month.

He has 165 grabs for 2,195 yards and 15 touchdowns in 58 regular-season games and joins a receiving corps in Detroit that boasts arguably the game's best wideout, Calvin Johnson.