The Russell Gage signing was widely-applauded when the Buccaneers. Now, where can they hope to go from here with the young wide receiver?
As nice as it would be to say that the Buccaneers hit the ball out of the park this past offseason in free agency based on all the big names that came to Tampa, the actual result has been much more of a mixed bag.
Yes, there were some good signings, but the injuries and overall variability in performances have made this class one of the weaker ones for the Bucs during the Tom Brady era.
Russell Gage may epitomize this more than any other player on the team.
A lot of people loved Gage and his cheap contract when he initially arrived in Tampa. It seemed like a change of scenery was all that was needed to fully unlock the young wide receiver and his long-term potential as a pairing with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but his limited production during the season has left a lot to be desired.
Part of these issues have been due to injuries, but while there have been some moments that seem to overcome these problems, the majority of the production has been far from what was projected.
Now, the Bucs do have a tough decision to make with Gage. His contract isn’t that bad, but can they really afford to keep him when the production has looked like it has? Giving a firm yes or no at this point is silly. A decision needs to be made, but it isn’t going to be easy when there are a lot of points to make for each side.
Hopefully the Buccaneers make the right decision, regardless of what that decision ends up being.
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