5 mid-tier free agent receivers the Chicago Bears should sign
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bears should sign wide receiver Russell Gage
Starting last year, the Atlanta Falcons had to figure out what life after Julio Jones looked like. At first glance, the Falcons were going to be just fine at wide receiver. After all, they had one of the best, ascending wide receivers in Calvin Ridley. However, Ridley stepped away from the game last year which thrust Russell Gage into the number one role.
On a fairly stagnant offense that featured a below-average offensive line, an aging Matt Ryan, and virtually no consistent running game, Gage performed pretty well actually. Now, his 2021 season actually fell a bit short of what he accomplished in 2020. However, the past two years have been pretty strong for the former sixth-round pick out of LSU.
Over his last two seasons, Gage has caught a total of 138 passes for 1,556 yards and eight touchdowns. Gage is a 6-foot outside receiver who would function well paired with Darnell Mooney, so long as the Bears had a stout plan for their slot receiver.
At only 26 years old, Gage still has plenty of room for growth. One of the best attributes he brings to the table is the ability to make some eye-popping catches out of nowhere. Gage has put up some highlight-reel type catches over his time in Atlanta and continues to remain one of the more underrated guys in the league.