TAMPA, Fla. — The Bucs looked to a division rival to find their No. 3 receiver, signing Falcons free agent Russell Gage on Tuesday.
Gage, 26, was very productive with Atlanta, catching 193 passes for 2,065 yards and nine touchdowns in four seasons.
But it was the way Gage finished the 2021 season that likely jumped off the film for the Bucs. He had 50 catches for 611 yards and three scores in the second half of the season.
With Chris Godwin recovering from a torn ACL/MCL, Gage gives the Bucs a receiver who can pay immediate dividends playing opposite Mike Evans. He provides an upgrade over Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller, who saw their production fall off last season.
Jaelon Darden played mostly as a kick returner as a rookie, catching only six passes for 43 yards. Cyril Grayson made some big plays for the Bucs after being promoted from the practice squad, but has only 11 career catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 184-pound Gage, drafted in the sixth round out of LSU in 2018, becomes the first outside free agent to come to an agreement with the Bucs this offseason. In eight career games against Tampa Bay, Gage has 48 catches for 484 yards and two scores.
Following the Bucs’ 30-17 win at Atlanta in December, a game in which Godwin had 15 catches for 143 yards to set the club’s single-game record, Gage told Godwin he was inspired by his play.
“I was just telling Mike (Evans), you and Mike inspire me, bro,” Gage said. “Been watching y’all.”
