Indianapolis Colts Need To Sign Ben Tate

Nov 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back

(44) carries the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts need to go out and sign free agent running back Ben Tate as soon as possible.

Ahmad Bradshaw went down with what appears to be a broken fibula this past week when the Indianapolis Colts faced the New England Patriots, and that is an injury that will hurt them in a big way moving forward. This loss is huge due to the fact that Bradshaw is by far their best running back and he has brought a lot of passion and energy to the field for them.

Despite the loss, the Colts might just have caught a break and found their next starting running back just a couple short days later. The Cleveland Browns released running back Ben Tate today, and the Colts need to pounce on that move and sign Tate as soon as possible.

Tate didn’t perform too terribly well with the Browns this season, but he has shown the ability to be a legitimate starter in the past with the Houston Texans. Indianapolis needs another starting caliber running back with Trent Richardson being left as the only workhorse type back out there, and Tate is without a doubt the answer. At just 26 years of age, Tate still has plenty of good football left in him.

As the Colts look to make their stretch run at the playoffs, they are going to need a legitimate rushing attack as they found out this past week. Tate carried the football 106 times for 333 yards and four touchdowns for the Browns this year, but did deal with some injury issues as well.

Last season with the Texans, Tate picked up 771 yards and four touchdowns on 181 carries. Those numbers round out to being 4.3 yards per carry, and he did so on a team that simply didn’t have any type of an aerial attack. Tate is more than capable of stepping up and coming through with 100-yard games when he gets enough carries, and the Colts are in desperate need of a running back that has to be accounted for by opposing defenses.

There are a few different running back options out there that the Colts could turn to, but Tate is without a doubt the most talented option that they have.

If the Colts are serious about making a run at the Super Bowl this season, they need to sign Tate quickly. There will be more interest in him across the league, but they can promise him a starting job and the role as being Luck’s primary supporter. Tate would take the Colts’ offense to a completely new level, and Indianapolis needs to make a deal happen.