7 free-agent receivers the Vikings could sign in 2022
By Luke Parrish
Russell Gage
2021 Team: Atlanta Falcons
With Calvin Ridley stepping away from football early last season, Russell Gage was in position to become a star in Atlanta. While he came up a little bit short of those expectations, Gage was still a pretty good wide receiver. He caught 66 passes for 770 yards and four touchdowns after putting up a similar line the year before in two more games.
Three games from Gage stand out when looking at his box scores from 2021. In Week 13, Gage hauled in 11 of 12 targets for 130 yards during a loss to the Buccaneers. Two weeks later, he caught eight balls for 91 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons lost to the 49ers.
In the final game of the year, Gage had nine grabs for 126 yards and a touchdown in what could have been his final game as a Falcon. He popped off for some big games as a Falcon and would be a fun addition to any offense in the NFL.
Serving as the WR2 or WR3 in Minnesota, depending on his desired role, is something that makes a lot of sense. Gage has experience as a number two or number three option which is excellent news for the Vikings. They can thrust him into a larger role if they need to, but they can also rely on him to be the fallback option in the offense.
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If Gage is looking for a fresh start, his market should definitely feature teams like the Vikings who need depth beyond their top targets. Gage has the upside of a 1,000-yard receiver if needed but getting 600 yards and four touchdowns out of him would be on par with Osborn and an upgrade over the next guys on the depth chart.