Bengals waive rookie draft pick Auden Tate

In what has to be considered a pretty surprising move, the Cincinnati Bengals have waived rookie seventh round pick, wide receiver Auden Tate.

It’s commonplace for rookie late-round picks not to make 53-man rosters. But once they earn a spot ahead of Week 1, teams tend to keep said player for the long haul.

A former standout at Florida State, Tate had not seen any regular season action. Though, the big-bodied 6-foot-5 receiver performed exceptionally well during the preseason and seemed to have a future in Cincinnati.

It’s also interesting in that Cincinnati’s depth at wide receiver isn’t necessarily among the best in the NFL. Outside of A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, not another receiver on the roster has more than seven catches on the season.

Tate himself should be picked up off the waiver wire in relatively short order. He was considered a mid-round pick prior to falling to the seventh round in April’s draft. There’s a lot of untapped talent here.