Ravens encouraged to cut ties with veteran wide receiver
By Matt Sidney
It wouldn't be an overreaction to suggest the Baltimore Ravens could use reinforcements in the wide receiver room. The receiver position is thin outside WR1 Zay Flowers as Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor fail to deliver consistently. In an attempt to bolster the receiver room, the Ravens signed veteran receiver Russell Gage.
This preseason, Gage has been a ghost, nonexistent, a non-factor. He has made no impact on the roster to date, leaving David Kenyon of Bleacher Report to suggest the Ravens should cut ties with the vet.
Kenyon drafted a list of players each NFL team needs to release before the 2024 season kicks off. He listed Russell Gage as the likely cut candidate for the Ravens. He states there are already too many hands in the cookie jar and he's already behind Tylan Wallace and Tez Walker in the pecking order.
"Good news or bad news? Baltimore doesn't have a very recognizable name on the bubble, save for a few veteran wideouts who were recently signed as long shots anyway. Could mean shaky depth elsewhere, but probably is good news overall. Tylan Wallace's value on special teams protects his spot ahead of Russell Gage, who notched 426 receiving yards with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year."
- David Kenyon
Russell Gage is a 28-year-old veteran wide receiver who's played for the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A former sixth-round pick, Gage has 244 receptions for 2,491 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 10.2 yards per catch during his five NFL seasons. He spent all last season on injured reserve after suffering a torn patellar tendon in training camp.
Patellar tendon tears are nasty business and doubts of Gage's return to peak form will follow him around. Unfortunately, the Ravens have addressed the receiver room, and even at peak performance, Gage would be competing for the fourth receiver spot with Wallace and Walker.
Why the Ravens will cut Russell Gage
Based on roster construction and team morale, it would be hard to envision a scenario where Gage makes the roster. With all due respect to Gage, do the Ravens really need another 6'0" receiver on the roster? Especially one who's coming off a brutal knee injury?
The Ravens addressed their lack of receiver depth when they selected former UNC wideout Tez Walker with the 113th pick in the fourth round of the draft. Teams will not and cannot waste their draft picks, even those that fall in the later rounds. By this standard, they are not keeping Gage over Walker.
Moving down the list, it's already been predicted that Flowers, Bateman, and Agholor will be the top three receivers on the depth chart. With four receivers already ahead of Gage, Tylan Wallace and Deonte Harty stick out as the two remaining competitors standing in the way of Gage and a roster spot.
As noted by Kenyon, Wallace provides significant intrigue in the return game. His value on special teams will assuredly supersede that of the need for Gage. Furthermore, unfortunately for Gage, the same can be said about Harty. On the smaller side of the NFL spectrum, Harty is a 5'6" specialist who thrives in the return game. With no special teams upside, the need for an average-height receiver coming off a severe injury dwindles quickly.
Ultimately, it will be up to the Baltimore Ravens to decide what direction is best for its team. Lamar Jackson is ready for a Super Bowl run. The franchise will make moves off this notion alone. While it's hard to see Gage's fit and value on the Ravens, they might see it otherwise. They have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 27 to decide.