RUSSELL GAGE WAS taking out the trash at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 14, 2022 -- two days before the official start of NFL free agency -- when a random number popped up on his phone. Gage answered the call with suspicion.
"Hi, this is Tom Brady," Gage heard on the other line.
Gage, about to hit free agency after four years as an increasingly productive wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons, sensed a prank. But the unmistakable voice on the other end soon went into no-huddle mode, explaining in detail why he wanted Gage to become a Tampa Bay Buc.