The team makes the moves official
The Tampa Bay Bucs announced today that the team has signed former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage while also announcing the trade for offensive guard Shaq Mason, pending a physical, from the New England Patriots. Tampa Bay will send the Patriots their fifth-round selection (No. 170 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Gage (6-0, 184) joins the Bucs after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, appearing in 61 games and making 21 starts. He has amassed 193 receptions for 2,065 yards and nine receiving touchdowns since entering the league as a sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) by the Falcons in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In 2021, Gage recorded 66 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns – all of which were the second-most by an Atlanta player last season. Over the final eight weeks of the 2021 season alone, Gage tallied 50 receptions for 611 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His 50 receptions and 611 receiving yards were each the eighth-most in the NFL over the final eight weeks of the season.
Mason (6-1, 310) comes to Tampa Bay after spending the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots (2015-21), where he won a pair of Super Bowl titles. Since entering the league as a fourth-round selection (No. 131 overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mason has appeared in 103 games, making 98 starts, earning a spot on the New England Patriots 2010s All-Decade Team.
The Columbia, Tennessee, native has started all 13 career playoff games in which he has played, including starting three consecutive Super Bowls (LI, LII, LIII) at right guard. Mason’s 103 regular season games played are tied for the fifth-most by a guard since he entered the league in 2015, while his 13 playoff appearances are tied for the most among guards during that span.
During a stretch of four seasons from 2015-19, Mason was the primary right guard for an offense that finished in the top 10 each year in total yards per game. He was a key member of an offensive line in New England that ranked fourth in the NFL from 2015-21 in fewest sacks allowed (211) and fifth in fewest sacks allowed per pass attempt (5.1 percent).
(Courtesy of the Bucs Communications Department.)