Buccaneers' Russell Gage expected to step in as No. 2 WR

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage is expected to begin the season as the No. 2 wide receiver if Chris Godwin hasn't recovered from a knee injury, writes Greg Auman of The Athletic.

What It Means:

Auman "wouldn't be surprised" if Godwin (knee) opens the season on the reserve/PUP list and he believes Gage "could step in as a solid" second receiver behind Mike Evans. Godwin and Rob Gronkowski averaged a combined 8.3 targets per game last season, so Gage could see an uptick in opportunities to begin the year if he can earn the trust of Tom Brady.

numberFire's models currently project Gage to average 7.1 targets, 4.7 catches and 55.4 yards to begin the season while Godwin is inactive. He is the WR49 in our preseason rankings.