Four days ago, the Bucs were dead and buried. The NFC South was completely up for grabs, and the conference belonged to Green Bay or Los Angeles. There were rumblings that the Bucs would use 2023 as a reboot season, preparing themselves to go after a top quarterback in 2024.

And in three days, all of that changed.

On Sunday, Tom Brady announced he was coming out of his 41-day retirement to re-join the Bucs. A string of moves quickly followed. Center Ryan Jensen was retained on a three-year, $39 million contract. Then cornerback Carlton Davis III was re-signed as well. Given Chris Godwin’s franchise tag the week before, that meant the Bucs had retained all three of their top free agents for 2022.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Yes, the loss of two starters followed. Right guard Alex Cappa and safety Jordan Whitehead were given modest deals elsewhere, but the Bucs didn’t value them at their price points. Tampa Bay did value a few other pieces, signing wide receiver Russell Gage away from Atlanta. The price tag was considerable – three years, $30 million for Gage. But in making the move, Tampa Bay secured one of the better No. 3 wide receivers on the market.

And the Bucs weren’t done. An hour later, general manager Jason Licht stole stud right guard Shaq Mason from the Patriots. The price? Just a fifth-round pick! Mason has been one of the best guards in the NFL for seven straight years. Now he reunites with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, upgrading the spot where Cappa once stood. And he’s cheaper.

Suddenly, the Bucs are very much alive in a surging NFC. The additions of Gage and Mason filled two significant holes that the team needed to address. Give Licht and the Bucs front office a ton of credit. They went into Tuesday knowing that simply running it back wasn’t good enough. So they upgraded two of the biggest holes on the team right away. And one of those additions will be catching passes from Brady next season.

WR Russell Gage • 6-0, 190 • 4.42 40-yard dash/39-inch vertical

It’s not surprising the Bucs were interested in Gage. Not only has he torched Tampa Bay over the past couple of seasons, he also fits all their metric preferences. When the Bucs scout wide receivers, they prioritize three things: height (6-foot+), vertical jump (explosiveness) and speed. At the NFL Scouting Combine a five years ago, Gage checked all three boxes. And he’s spent the past few years on tape, proving he belongs.

Over his first three seasons in Atlanta, Gage played the majority of his snaps in the slot. Given the cerebral nature of that position, and the technique needed to execute at a high level, it was a little surprising. Gage had barely contributed offensively in college, catching only 26 passes in his LSU career. And 21 of them came in his senior season. It’s incredible he was drafted at all, let alone as a sixth-round pick. But when teams scouted him, they saw speed, athleticism, character, work ethic and physicality. Gage’s work on special teams made him a coveted Day 3 pick.

Now, his special teams days might be behind him. Gage is the extremely rare player to blossom in the NFL after doing nothing in college. Ironically, the knock on Gage was once his rawness. But he’s quickly become one of the more nuanced route runners and reliable targets in the NFL. Mental mistakes are rare, he knows how to get open and he rarely drops the ball. Per PFF, Gage had just five drops on 102 targets last year.

While Gage emerged in the slot, he had to take on a bigger role in 2021. Despite an anemic offense and no other wide receivers of note on the field, Gage impressed as an outside receiver. He reeled in 66 catches for 770 yards and four touchdowns. The LSU product’s best game came against the Bucs in Atlanta, catching 10 balls for 130 yards.

Where Gage Wins

I know Sean Murphy-Bunting is happy to see Gage on his sideline, rather than the opponent’s.

Gage has made his money as a good short-intermediate separation creator. His routes are crisp and he knows how to create space for throwing windows. Atlanta didn’t ask him to win vertically very often, but he did it when called upon. There is no reason to believe he’s incapable of downfield success in Tampa Bay.

Because the Falcons offense was not very vertical last season, Gage didn’t make a lot of splash plays. He was a strong possession receiver underneath, but the big play opportunities were few and far between. On the season, Gage received just 13 targets of 20 yards or more in the air. But he made those plays count, catching six of the passes for 173 yards and two scores. In addition, four of the five balls were contested catches.

That might be the area of Gage’s game that has seen the most growth. In 2019, Gage caught just 30 percent of his contested opportunities. That percentage jumped to 45 percent in 2020, followed by an outstanding 58 percent in 2021, per PFF. The more opportunities Gage has received, the better he’s performed. He’s also a strong blocker, often praised as a selfless, high I.Q. player.

Questions About Gage’s Game

New Bucs WR Russell Gage and CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – Photo by: USA Today

One area where Gage has been totally unimpressive is after the catch. He does not provide much in the way of tackle-breaking or elusiveness. He’s an athlete with speed, but getting him manufactured touches won’t be a big part of the Bucs’ plan. Per PFF, the 26-year old has never averaged more than four yards after the catch per reception.

If there’s a concern with Gage, it’s how he’ll fit as the team’s ‘Z’ receiver if he needs to play that role heavily. I would imagine that Chris Godwin will move all over the offense, so Gage won’t man just one spot. But if he’s playing mostly on the outside, it will be a scheme and role adjustment for the fifth-year receiver.

I still expect the Bucs to draft another vertical threat at wide receiver. They need more size and speed on the outside, and they know Tyler Johnson is not that guy. Scotty Miller brought the splash plays for awhile, but lost playing time to basically everyone last season. The Bucs won’t go into next season with a job handed to either of those guys. Expect more competition at wide receiver eventually. But for now, Gage is a great start to rounding out the Bucs’ starting offense for 2022.