Should The Bucs Trade Mike Evans?
The diamond just did a post the other day on the future of Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. General Manager Jason Licht claims that he wants to keep Evans with the Bucs for the long haul. Are we sure that’s what the Bucs should do? Are we sure Tampa Bay shouldn’t entertain trade talks for their star wide receiver?
We know where the Buccanneers stand heading into the 2023-24 NFL Season. They’re essentially tanking. Todd Bowles is a lame duck head coach and the Kyle Trask vs. Baker Mayfield battle probably won’t yield great results. The offensive line has fallen apart and the team is aging fast.
This is going to be a lost season for the Bucs. Even the most lunatic fans know this. With that in mind, shouldn’t an Evans trade be on the table depending on the offer?
The wide receiver market continues to explode. Is it out of the question that Tampa Bay could get a first round pick back for Evans? The former Texas A&M product is heading into his age 30 season and will become an unrestricted free agent following the conclusion of this season. If Tampa doesn’t feel comfortable extending Evans, a trade has to be something they consider.
Keep in mind, Evans also hasn’t been compensated properly yet. His extension came prior to the explosion of the receiver market. He also hasn’t complained once about his contract and has been a good soldier since. Playing in tax heaven Florida helps. Evans is the 17th highest paid receiver this year with Tyler Lockett and Hunter Renfrow side by side on the list. Evans taking a pay cut on his next deal seems unlikely. Teammate Chris Godwin makes more money.
Ideally, Evans is someone that you want to build with. He’s a great target for an incoming rookie to throw the ball to. I’m not denying that. In a perfect world, you probably trade Chris Godwin first. I’m just not sure how much value Godwin has given the injury bug he’s been going through. He’s also three years younger than Evans and may make more sense to keep around in a rebuilding phase.
The truth of the matter is, Evans doesn’t fit the timeline here. You have to strike during your window and Tampa Bay is two years away from competing and that’s if they hit on draft picks during that stretch. I wouldn’t want to trade Evans either but it’s something Tampa Bay has to consider. Especially if it involves lucrative draft picks. The 2024 NFL Draft is loaded and for a team like Tampa that needs to reset, they should be doing everything they can to acquire them.
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