Bucs WR Gage Could Be Team’s Best Offseason Move

This offseason has marked fairly the distinction from the earlier 12 months for the Bucs. They made fairly various strikes this offseason that went past re-signing their very own gamers. The staff traded for guard Shaq Mason. They drafted not less than 4 gamers who look to have paths to vital taking part in time. They usually signed a number of extra veterans who additionally look to be key contributors to this 12 months’s staff.

With this many roster strikes, it may be laborious to discern which could be essentially the most impactful. In line with Brad Spielberger of Professional Soccer Focus, he believes it was the staff’s signing of veteran huge receiver Russell Gage. Spielberger argues that Gage could have an outsized position in the beginning of the season. That is as a result of uncertainty of Chris Godwin’s availability week one. And after Godwin’s return, he nonetheless sees Gage being a giant contributor.

“The addition of Gage works in tandem with the extension of huge receiver Chris Godwin, whose three-year, $60 million pact has already aged effectively in only a few brief months. Godwin is 5 months youthful than Washington’s McLaurin, who simply obtained $10 million extra in new cash on his personal three-year extension. Whereas Godwin is on the mend from a torn ACL suffered in late December of final season, Gage will function because the de facto WR2 reverse Mike Evans. As soon as Godwin returns, Tampa Bay could have among the finest huge receiver trios within the NFL.”

The Argument For Gage

Trying over the Bucs key additions, it’s laborious to argue with Spielberger’s logic. The Bucs are an offense-first staff. That offense requires extremely expert receivers to make it go. And one of many receivers is coming off of main knee surgical procedure. Godwin isn’t a lock to start the season able to play. So, Gage has a transparent path to numerous taking part in time at a place that will likely be featured closely. He additionally comes with a observe document on tape of having the ability to win within the roles he will likely be requested to play.

Spielberger does word in his writeup an argument for brand spanking new defensive sort out Akiem Hicks as effectively. He argues that if Hicks is wholesome, his expertise could permit him to return to his as soon as Professional Bowl kind. In any occasion, this offseason confirmed that Bucs common supervisor Jason Licht was going to be aggressive in addressing alternatives on the roster. Gage and Hicks signify two doable additions that will repay huge for the staff in 2022.