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Falcons WR is Ready to ‘Hurt A Lot of Feelings’ This Season

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Russell Gage

Getty Wide receiver Russell Gage #83 of the Atlanta Falcons.

Falcons wide receiver, Russell Gage let out some aggressive feelings out on Twitter regarding the upcoming season.

This could mean he’s ready to prove his doubters wrong and take over Calvin Ridley or Julio Jones’ starting role…okay too far? Well, he’ll at least be third in line on the depth chart with that kind of “ready to eat” attitude.

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Gage’s Contribution to the Offense

When Gage is healthy, he shows his worth and is a beautiful playmaker. Gage played an important role in the Falcons offense in the second half of the season, and he should have an even bigger part heading into next season.

To start last season, Gage had four receptions and 44 yards in 7 games. Then in the second half, he was asked to step up after the Falcons traded Mohamed Sanu where he had seven receptions for 58 yards.

When the Falcons played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 12, Gage caught eight receptions for 76 yards. The following week he had five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown against Drew Brees.

Gage has been pretty lucky to learn from one of the best, if not the best receiver in the league, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley has also been a good role model too since he’s made a name for himself in the league.

The Falcons mostly used Gage during screen plays or in their wildcat formation, so they’ll probably look to do more of that with him this season too.

Falcons Sign 3 Wide Receivers in Free Agency

The Falcons didn’t grab a receiver in this year’s NFL draft, so they must be comfortable with who they have. However, they did add some receiver depth in undrafted free agency.

Jalen McCleskey from Tulane, Chris Rowland from Tennessee State, and Juwan Green out of Albany all signed with the Falcons after the conclusion of the draft.

Out of these three receivers, Rowland is one to keep your eyes on for now.

Breaking Jerry Rice’s Record

Rowland, who broke Jerry Rice‘s HBCU record will now get a chance to show he belongs in the pros in a Falcons jersey. 

Rowland’s career at Tennessee State was a slow burn to start as a redshirt freshman. He caught just 33 passes for one score in his first two seasons. Junior season was a little different for him. He had 57 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games.

Then things took a sharp turn. The 5’8 speedster balled out his senior year. He caught a total of 104 passes to top Jerry Rice’s HBCU single-season reception mark. Rowland also starred on the return where he returned both punts and kickoffs for touchdowns as a senior. His elite efforts earned him several honors, including the Deacon Jones Trophy, given every year to the Black College Football Hall of Fame’s player of the year.

Clearly, Rowland is coming to Atlanta this season on a mission and so is Gage.

READ NEXT: Falcons 2020 Schedule Ranked Toughest Test in NFL

Kelsey Kramer covered the NFL for Heavy.com from 2020 to 2023, with a focus on the Atlanta Falcons. A Georgia native, her work has been featured at AtoZ Sports, iHeartMedia, ESPN3 and SBR Sportsbook Review. More about Kelsey Kramer

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