Russell Gage didn’t have the luxury of being invited to the Senior Bowl. He wasn’t asked to attend the NFL scouting combine. But upon looking at his statistics at LSU, it’s understandable to see why he was passed over, as the numbers didn’t add up to much.
After moving from cornerback to receiver in 2016, Gage accrued 347 receiving yards, 232 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in two seasons. Yet here Gage is, entering his third season with the Falcons and poised to be the team’s top slot receiver.
Gage’s development over the past two years has more than earned the trust of his teammates and coaches. In 2019, with the majority of his production coming over the final half of the season, Gage recorded 446 receiving yards, more than he totaled during his tenure at LSU.
Now, after two years spent learning the Falcons’ offense, Gage is ready for an even bigger share of the passing game in an offense that led the league in passing attempts a season ago.
“I was able to get a lot of experience under my belt,” Gage said. “Fast forward to right now, I’m able to play a lot faster. I understand the offense. Last year really helped in that back stretch for me to get the offense under my belt, to understand what (offensive coordinator) Dirk (Koetter) wants and what (quarterback) Matt (Ryan) wants out of me in this offense.”
Gage was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft, even without attending the Senior Bowl and scouting combine. The Falcons were interested in Gage but thought of him as a special-teams player first and foremost. But when the Falcons worked out Gage at LSU in the weeks after the combine, his performance caught the eye of receivers coach Dave Brock, who then was an assistant to the position group.
Brock was impressed with Gage’s measurables and began to talk him up to coach Dan Quinn.
“When we went down and worked him out at LSU, he just had great body movement, quickness and suddenness,” Brock said. “You could see he had some traits that could be developed. Once he got here you started to work with him, and you could see he had an awful lot of potential and ability.”
Said Quinn: “I’d champion Dave to say he was the one. Our vision for (Gage) at first was as a special-teams player. He had speed, and he had toughness. OK, we knew that would be there. Then, as he started to evolve and it went into his second year, we thought there’s a lot more here offensively.
“So I really credit Dave for making that vision come to life. It was part of the reason why we had such faith in him that we were able to make the trade that we did to allow him to have those opportunities.”
Even after drawing rave reviews during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Gage opened the 2019 season as a rotational receiver, with Mohamed Sanu manning the slot. But at the bye week, with the Falcons holding a 1-7 record, the Falcons traded Sanu to the New England Patriots, opening up a spot for Gage to step into.
Quinn already was buying in to Gage as a legitimate option in the passing game. But it likely helped that the week before the Falcons traded Sanu, Gage was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 58 yards in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Over the final eight games, Gage drew at least six targets five times. He posted a career-best eight catches and 76 yards in a home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“He’s somebody we’re going to certainly count on in a lot of scenarios this season,” Brock said. “He’s got a ton of potential, and I don’t even think he’s come close to reaching it yet. He’s a hard-working guy who has really worked at doing the things we’ve asked him to do. He’s blessed with really good physical skills.”
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
Ryan said he’s impressed with how Gage is able to shake defenders and create separation out of the slot. Ryan also has noticed that as Gage enters his third season, he is a bit more tactful as to when he puts these skills to use.
For instance, when the Falcons are facing a zone look, Gage is looking to attack the holes opening up as opposed to worrying about the nearest defender to juke away from.
“His growth week-to-week was exponential because he was having a game plan where plays were put in for him,” Ryan said. “He was having a whole week preparing as the starting slot receiver for us. Sometimes that can be overwhelming for guys. Sometimes backups and guys that are in that reserve role are good when they’re just called upon and don’t have the full week of pressure leading up to it and you see that and you regress.
“Other guys, like Russ, you see them kind of step out of their shell and become an even better player and take ownership of it. I certainly have seen that with him.”
Gage said he is thankful that Brock saw the potential he had as an NFL receiver. As someone who switched positions and didn’t see that many touches at LSU, it’s clear why he fell to the sixth round in the draft. But as Brock noted, the quality of Gage’s college tape was good. It’s just the limited number of chances he received didn’t result in much production.
Now that he’s the top slot receiver in a pass-happy offense that threw the ball 684 times a season ago, Gage is quite excited about the opportunity placed in front of him.
“The coaches put trust in my game, my progress and having me go out there and play to the best of my ability and play fast,” Gage said. “That helps me to play fast. I credit the coaches a lot for having the confidence in me.”
About the Author
