Atlanta Falcons: Four position battles to watch for heading into the 2020 season

Can Russell Gage fill in as the third option full time?

The Atlanta Falcons have built a tradition of having a solid core at the wide receiver position. After the Atlanta Falcons dealt away Mohamed Sanu to the New England Patriots in 2019 for their second-round pick – which was used to pick Hayden Hurst from the Ravens – this created a hole that was quickly filled by Russell Gage.

However, this past offseason, the Atlanta Falcons signed former first-rounder and pending bust in Laquon Treadwell during free agency. The headline of having 11 first rounders starting on offense is nice on paper, however, will it actually unfold this way?

Treadwell was targeted 16 times last season in Minnesota, where he was drafted in 2016, and only came down with the ball nine times. Sure, at one point in time he was viewed as this next great receiver, however in four seasons, he’s only accounted for two scores, 300 yards less than 1,000 receiving yards in his career, and has very hit or miss hands.

Russell Gage started to impress during the 2019 preseason and even had Matt Ryan hyping up the former second-year receiver. Gage benefited the most from the Sanu trade to New England because immediately after, Gage saw an increase in targets on the field.

Furthermore, with Laquon Treadwell’s career hanging in the balance, a big season in 2020 is a priority for him and he will 100 percent be pushing Gage to all ends to get the third role in the Atlanta Falcons passing attack. Treadwell will be playing with the best quarterback in his career and will be playing on the same team with the best receiver in the NFL today.