Russell Gage will make a splash in first year with Tampa Bay

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swept the Atlanta Falcons for the second time in two seasons, Bucs general manager Jason Licht and company added insult to injury, signing receiver Russell Gage away from their division rival.

With the Atlanta Falcons unable to keep Russell Gage in free agency, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to land the former Atlanta receiver on a three-year, $30 million contract.

With Calvin Ridley playing in just five games for the Falcons last season, Gage stepped into a role where he led Atlanta’s wide receiving corps for a majority of the season.

The former sixth-round pick out of LSU averaged over 11 yards per reception last season, hauling in 66 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns.

Gage also led the Falcons in average yards per route run against man coverage with 2.84, ranking 11th in the league in 2021 as reported by Pro Football Focus.

Now, he’s slotted as the third wide receiver on the Buc’s depth chart, starting alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin with Tyler Johnson, Breshad Perriman, and Scotty Miller sitting behind him.

With Godwin coming off of a torn ACL, it is to be expected that Gage will contribute more to the receiving corps as he eases back into the system.

When you add Rob Gronkowski announcing his retirement and O. J. Howard signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills to the mix, it’s to be expected that Byron Leftwich and company will utilize three wide receivers on the field more in 2022.

Along with Gage’s proven route-running abilities, he showcased his ability to come up with big-time plays in key situations with the Falcons, whether it’s coming up with a catch or lining up at quarterback.

After actively recruiting Gage in the offseason, Tom Brady is already counting on a big year from his new target heading into 2022.

"“He has to have a big year,” Brady said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “That is a very important role for an offense that throws the ball as much as we do. Russ, when he is out there, there is a lot of work that needs to go into the next six weeks to be ready. We’re challenged right out of the box this year.”"

As Gage looks to catch passes from Brady and learn a brand new offense in 2022, expect him to thrive in one of the league’s top offenses from last season.