The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense suffered a major loss last week. Wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. suffered what has been called a severe knee injury, which ended his 2023 campaign before it even started.

Gage was injured during a joint practice with the New York Jets, leaving a major void in the offense. He was set to be the No. 3 wide receiver this season behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for whoever wins the quarterback battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.

One player that could fit the bill for the Buccaneers’ need is Greg Ward of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was suggested as a target for the team by Matt Lombardo of FanBuzz as someone who could earn an opportunity to lock down the role long-term in Tampa Bay.

“Tampa Bay could use the 2023 season as an audition for the 28-year-old to prove whether he can be a viable long-term solution as the No. 3 wide receiver, especially after Eagles quarterbacks posted a 139.6 passer rating on his 10 targets back in 2021,” Lombardo wrote.

Ward played quarterback collegiately with Houston before transitioning to wide receiver at the next level. He was actually an integral part of the Eagles’ offense in 2020 when he appeared in all 16 games, starting 10 of them.

The Houston product played 70 percent of the team’s offensive snaps that season, catching 53 passes for 419 yards and six touchdowns. That production is quite impressive for a player who was a full-time quarterback in 2017.

Still only 28 years old, Ward is someone who should have plenty of excellent football ahead of him. With a logjam ahead of him on the depth chart in Philadelphia, being traded to the Buccaneers would likely be a welcome scenario.

At best, Ward is currently the No. 6 wide receiver on the Eagles. With the Buccaneers, he could quickly assume a role behind Evans and Godwin as a reliable slot receiver for whoever wins the quarterback competition.