No Need To Worry About Russell Gage
July 13th, 2022
Will excel with Tom Brady.
Joe admits to being worried. But a stenographer for NFL.com suggests that’s foolish.
What is Joe worried about? Well, the Bucs need a lot of production from Russell Gage this year without Rob Gronkowski (maybe), furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing, V-card-forging quitter Antonio Brown, and Chris Godwin likely missing games.
So Gage will be expected to put up very good numbers if the Bucs are going to challenge the Rams for NFC superiority.
What worries Joe is that Gage had a mysterious injury this spring and was unable to work with teammates on the practice fields of One Buc Palace before the team ended its mandatory mincamp five weeks ago. So Gage is way behind.
Adam Rank of NFL.com is basically saying Joe needs to chill. Gage, at least until Godwin returns, will likely be a slot receiver, and Rank points out that Tom Brady always makes a slot receiver look good.
… … There’s Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, to name a couple. One wouldn’t have to connect random dots to suggest Gage has the potential for a big year. I know a lot of the fantasy heads loved Gage in Atlanta last year, and you should get on board with him. He has notched 90-plus targets in consecutive seasons. He caught four touchdown passes in each of those years. Dude is ready for a big role.
Joe sure hopes Rank is correct. He certainly is correct about Welker, Edelman and Godwin.
Godwin was a top-shelf receiver but when Brady arrived, Brady sure raised Godwin’s level.
And with the little that the immortal Cyril Grayson has played slot, Brady sure turned him into a weapon. Yes?
July 13th, 2022 at 5:51 am
Gage had an undisclosed injury this spring
July 13th, 2022 at 6:07 am
I don’t understand why the Bucs won’t say what his problem is. Why the secrecy?
July 13th, 2022 at 6:15 am
Adam Rank didn’t offer any new information about Gage’s injury. Heck, he didn’t offer any information at all about it; he just assumed it away. Just another talking head’s OPINION.
Personally I’m still concerned about Gage. Still concerned about Godwin. Still concerned about Gronk (is he REALLY retired?). Still concerned about how our 2 rookie TEs will do, and about whether Cam Brate will step up into the Alpha dog role. And oh ya, still really concerned about our defense.
And yet what I’m not concerned about is 45-year-old Tom Brady. Without him, we’d probably be looking down the barrel of a losing season, rather than spouting Super Bowl expectations.
July 13th, 2022 at 8:09 am
If Gage is still playing catch with the jugs machine instead of Brady come training camp, I’ll start to be petrified rather than merely concerned.
July 13th, 2022 at 8:37 am
Grrrr… The Dead Season
July 13th, 2022 at 8:46 am
Wished we could have found a new home for Godwin. And got a quality RB for him. WR’s will be fine.
July 13th, 2022 at 9:08 am
Injuries are always worrisome…
The one position I am not questioning the strength of is RB’s. Lenny and White and crew are solid.
July 13th, 2022 at 9:20 am
Coming here to Tampa, Gage must have thought he died and went to heaven.
Call Atlanta whatever you want, except a Contender!
He will do well here in Tampa, and we sure need him to fill Godwin’s shoes, until he returns rom his injury
July 13th, 2022 at 9:21 am
Godwin forever.
GoBucs!
July 13th, 2022 at 9:28 am
@DR, If I am Licht, my attitude is Gronk is retired and I better be looking.
Godwin is a concern, not just for when will he return, but how long will it take for him to find his grove; hopefully by the playoffs
Brate is beat up. Past couple of years he always gets a nagging injury and his #s get worse; depending on rookie TEs is scary.
For those who obsess about OBJ, I dont get it. OBJ will take longer to get his game back than Godwin. At THAT POINT, I think Evans, Godwin, Gage and Lenny are all the weapons the Bucs will need.
NOT that I am serious with this idea: but if you want a super cheap, shoulda, coulda been a HOF player if not for being a total WACK, resign the crazy jumping jack since he would be good for early in the season, and when he is ready to quit on the team, the Bucs will have ME, CG, Gage and Lenny in peak form. That makes WAY more sense than signing OBJ. And I wouldn’t sign that idiot even if he would play for FREE
July 13th, 2022 at 10:07 am
Gage outside of two 100 yard games last year averaged 40 yards per game. His body of work doesn’t excite me as a fan. I hope he can mitigate the loss of Gronk and AB going mental.
July 13th, 2022 at 10:09 am
As always, worried about those nagging injuries that linger all season. It is obvious that Gage had a fairly significant issue if he missed all of minicamp. I guess we will find out how serious it is when training camp starts. Still think we need to get another veteran WR to backfill for Gage/Godwin as needed. Julio would be ideal if can get him cheap.
July 13th, 2022 at 10:22 am
I would not be surprised if it were his hamstrings and the team not wanting to agitate that soreness overworking Gage in June. Let him relax, let him soak the playbook up and get Gage as ready as possible for training camp where his reps would be much more significant with Brady and the other starters. Same could be said for Otton, especially coming off the injury plagued year that hit both the TE & WR rooms respectively, can’t blame the team for playing it safe.
July 13th, 2022 at 10:33 am
Gage will be good in this system. He knows how to work the zones and get open. I have no problem with the Bucs sitting him during mini-camp to let whatever injury he was dealing with to heal up properly and be ready for the regular season.
July 13th, 2022 at 11:05 am
Julio Jones is so washed, better off to sign 48 year old Terrell Owens. And no I’m not advocating for that either.
Between Grayson, Perriman, Tyler Johnson, and Scotty, on top of ME13, Godwin and Gage, that’s solid. Bet on Brady making those four stay late and come in early for extra work.
July 13th, 2022 at 11:13 am
I’m not sure what this article proves. This is nothing more than regerjitated information with a new header which seems to be the running theme at JBF.
July 13th, 2022 at 11:16 am
Prolly a tweaked hammy. No need to rush him back.
July 13th, 2022 at 12:22 pm
SufferingSince76 Says:
July 13th, 2022 at 6:07 am
NFL teams generally only talk about injuries when required by league rules. It’s not secrecy so much as it is they don’t have to report injuries, so they don’t. There’s no reason to suspect the injury is anything to be concerned about.
July 13th, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Joke. And why should I still not be be worried? If he can play they didn’t give him $30M to be a slot receiver behind Tyler Johnson at number two . He does have the inside-outside ability like Godwin. Brate TD in the red zone are definitely on the rise.