The Dallas Cowboys are considering various options to bolster their WR group, but the best solution could be a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. As Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn sees work at slot WR, veteran WR Russell Gage is still looking for a new team.
Gage is one of the few prominent names remaining in free agency. It’s not exactly clear why he’s yet to sign a deal, but he is coming off a lost season due to a knee injury in August of 2023.
While a major injury is a red flag, this could be the kind of situation where the Cowboys can “buy low” on a player. Before his lost 2023 season, Gage was a consistent producer in a No. 2 or No. 3 role with both the Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons.
Most importantly, Gage has experience playing as a slot WR. The Cowboys have a solid selection of WRs that play outside and have unique skill sets, but they lack a proper slot WR. If Gage is available at a cut price, he could be the kind of addition that legitimately elevates the Dallas offense.
Gage’s Career Hits Bump in Road
Gage entered the league with the Falcons as a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft. While Gage was able to make the 53-man roster as a rookie, he did not get on the field often. However, a bigger opportunity arrived in 2019 and the former LSU Tiger took the chance.
According to Pro Football Reference, Gage caught 49 passes for 446 receiving yards and a touchdown that year. The 28-year-old had found a role with the Falcons and solidified himself as a key weapon by 2020. That year, Gage caught 72 passes for 786 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
In some ways, his 2021 season was even better, although his volume totals were slightly down due to missing three games. He totaled 770 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 66 receptions and would have easily cleared his 2020 numbers if he had played all 17 games.
Putting together two consecutive years of production meant Gage would get a sizable payday ahead of the 2022 campaign, but the Falcons weren’t the ones to dole out the cash. Instead, the Buccaneers nabbed Gage and gave him a three-year, $30 million deal.
His 2022 season in Tampa saw him struggle to replicate his numbers due to a crowded offense. But the real obstacle for Gage going forward is the knee injury he suffered last Fall that preceded his release earlier this year.
Cowboys RB Taking Snaps at WR
As mentioned above, Vaughn is trying his hand at slot WR. From the Cowboys’ perspective, they need an out-and-out slot WR. From Vaughn’s perspective, it’s a way to further solidify his place on the 53-man roster.
“It was one of those things that we had kind of talked about at the end of the season last year,” Vaughn said according to DallasCowboys.com. “Talking with [offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] just a little bit about getting with the slot…Just learning a little bit more about it. Because it’s one of the things I did in college and love to do. Just adds another value.”
Whether or not Vaughn actually makes the switch remains to be seen, but Dallas is clearly open-minded to the idea or to figuring out a new solution to the slot WR.
