The Atlanta Falcons currently have just one wide receiver under contract for the 2022 season in 2021 sixth-round draft pick, Frank Darby.
This means that the others will hit the open market as of Wednesday, March 16, and be free to sign with other teams, including Russell Gage.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Falcons are ‘hoping’ to bring Gage back for next season, however, the Lions also have interest in adding the Falcons’ starting wideout to their roster.
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Gage Was Forced into a No. 1 Wide Reciever Role
Things got a bit spooky when Calvin Ridley announced his decision to step away from football on Halloween and it was up to Gage to step up to fill his void as Matt Ryan’s No. 1 option while backup Tajae Sharpe took over at the No. 2 spot.
While Gage was listed as Atlanta’s top receiver, he didn’t play up to that kind of caliber––well, until the end of the season. He missed most of the early season due to an ankle injury and when he finally make his return, his performance was very inconsistent and there were even games where he didn’t make a single catch.
But then he became a ball magnet. In Atlanta’s Week 13 30-17 loss to the Buccaneers, Gage had himself a 100-yard receiving day and led the team catching 11 of 12 targets for a career-high 130 yards.
He carried that momentum with him through the end of the season, clearly gaining Ryan’s trust as a real No. 1 option.
Still, he finished the year recording just 770 receiving yards on 66 catches and 4 touchdowns, which is not ideal for a teams’ top receiver.
Nonetheless, the Falcons were happy with his overall production.
“Russell did a terrific job,” Smith said during the NFL Scouting Combine, via Sports Illustrated. “He got injured early in the season but came back and was really productive late in the year and helped us.”
Where Does Atlanta Go From Here?
Whether or not Atlanta brings back Gage will be a tough decision that general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith need to make––and fast if other teams are catching are looking his way.
But with Ridley out for at least the 2022 season and the Falcons wide receiver depth looking like a skeleton, the Falcons could be prioritizing Gage’s return as a veteran re-sign.
And with the team’s $11 million cap boost, “thanks” to Ridley, and Gage’s expected annual salary of $654,049 (per Spotrac), the Falcons should have no problem bringing back the LSU product if that is the direction they choose to go.
From there, you might expect Atlanta to turn to the draft for a young wideout in a later round or even trade back in the first round, as Falcons’ Digital Managing Editor Scott Bair recently suggested.
Trading back could benefit them the most since they have SO many needs to fill heading into free agency and the draft. The Falcons would acquire more draft picks and a top receiver from the 2022 draft class, thus killing two birds with one stone.
We should find out more on Monday, March 14, when the legal negotiating window opens at noon and agents and teams are officially allowed to discuss deals.
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