What Could Have Been
June 12th, 2020
Last chance in 2020.
Easily the most asked question by Bucs fans to Joe centers around a defensive player.
“What’s the latest on Justin Evans?”
He’s hurt. That’s the latest. Same as it was last week. Same as it was last month. Same as it was last year. Same as it has always been.
The Bucs thought they may have had a steal in Evans, coming out of Texas A&M. And outside of picking off Tom Brady as a rookie, you’d be hard-pressed to think of a play he made.
It wasn’t that Evans was or is a bad player. It’s just that, he’s hurt. All the time. So Evans’ limited play has held him back greatly. And in looking back at the 2017 draft, Dane Brugler of The Athletic points out that thus far, Evans has been the biggest disappointment of that draft for the Bucs.
Biggest Miss
After a promising rookie season in which he had three interceptions, Evans struggled with a foot injury in Year 2 and then missed all of 2019 with an Achilles injury. As he enters the final year of his rookie deal, there is time for him to flip the script, but he needs to stay healthy.
Now Joe isn’t dogging Evans here. Joe knows of no player outside of Myron Lewis who wanted to be hurt. Evans wants to be on the field. His body keeps letting him down.
What compounds Evans’ injury-riddled career is what the Bucs could have had when they drafted Evans. No, Dalvin Cook was not available. Cook was selected at No. 41 overall. Evans was drafted No. 50.
But yeah, there was a running back still on the board when Evans was drafted. He turned out to be pretty good. The Bucs see him twice a year and will see him again in the season opener at New Orleans this September.
What could have been.
Injuries killed what may have been a damn strong top-heavy draft for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht that spring.
O.J. Howard was drafted first. Evans second. Chris Godwin was a third-round pick (home run!) and Kendell Beckwith, who trashed his ankle in a car wreck after a very promising rookie season, was selected in the fourth round.
Beckwith never recovered to play football after that wreck, and though he is technically still on the Bucs roster, he has never participated in a Bucs practice since.
June 12th, 2020 at 6:40 am
If Howard doesn’t produce THIS year, it will be another wasted 1st round pick by Licht. Just keep in mind, 1st round picks are supposed to be decades-long cornerstones to a franchise.
Beckwith showed real promise as did Evans. As the saying goes though, “The best ability is AVAILability!”
Godwin is easily the best pick in that draft class.
June 12th, 2020 at 7:26 am
When you re-do the 2017 Draft, Godwin goes in the top 10.
June 12th, 2020 at 7:37 am
Time to release Evans and Beckwith save 1.5 mil in cap space. Why keep them on the roster.
June 12th, 2020 at 7:42 am
The sheep see the results but not the pattern!!!!!!!!! Time to release the licht bulb!!!!!!!!!! But after the 2020 failure, the sheep will have all the excuses ready to bring back ole stale biscuit and licht bulb for “one more year”!!!!!!!!!! Which will lead to another failure in 2021, then the full rebuild will commence, and the Bucs will be starting from Zero!!!!!!!!!! So the sheep should enjoy the “exciting failures”!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!
June 12th, 2020 at 8:53 am
“licht bulb” & “stale biscuit”? Someone needs to write a sitcom! So funny!
June 12th, 2020 at 8:58 am
@adam Lakers carolla
Who needs to “write” the sitcom!!!!!!!!!! Just replay bucs games from the 2019 losing season of 7-9 and play Yakety Sax as the audio!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will get more laughs from the buffoonery and sloppy coaching we saw last year, then some canned jokes for a sit-com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 12th, 2020 at 9:34 am
‘Blah Blah Blah’, said El Buco Realisto. STFU already.
June 12th, 2020 at 9:36 am
I saw him in Target in South Tampa just before the Covid stuff took off….still in a boot. Here’s the issue with a dude injured for that long…..his entire body has been compensating for the various injuries and imbalances for nearly two years. Even when he makes it back from the injuries, he’ll be vulnerable to pulled hamstrings/back strain. Either one of those will shelve a secondary player for another 6 weeks….He’s likely done as a Buc. Once he has three credited seasons, he’s due his various veteran benefits…..Bucs don’t keep you around unless you show good value because they don’t want to pay those benefits.
June 12th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Sad situation for the young man. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone come back right after missing that much time with an injury. While I hold out slim hope that he can shake the injury bug and come back, I’m not holding my breath. In my “glass half full” mind, Bobby M. reports he IS walking on his own! Ok, so he’s in a boot. Maybe he finds them as comfortable as UGGS. Here’s to optimism!!
June 12th, 2020 at 10:34 am
1. What is a “credited” season? He’s already been in the league three years.
2. Veteran bennies are paid for by the league, am pretty sure (but yeah, that comes from each team of course).
June 12th, 2020 at 11:08 am
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. Let’s get on with a 2020 Season!!!!!!
June 12th, 2020 at 11:09 am
Joe………any chance I can get my old handle back?
June 12th, 2020 at 11:31 am
I don’t see him making the team if he’s not ready by preseason. It’ll be:
FS:Winfield JR, Mike Edwards
SS: Whitehead, D’cota Dixion( who Bruce Arians was high on last year before his injury)
June 12th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
The greatest ability is availability.
June 12th, 2020 at 12:06 pm
See, I am a believer in BA’s system so far. BAAAAAH. Anyways if not BA then what coach would you prefer?
June 12th, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Availability doesn’t matter if you are awful.
Vernon Hargreaves was usually available to play…the problem was he stunk.
June 12th, 2020 at 1:38 pm
we drafted his replacement this year and it will be a MAJOR upgrade,
slim chance Evans he ever sees the field again in the NFL, hope he saved his money
June 12th, 2020 at 2:19 pm
@Joe…it used to be defined as an “active player on the date of three or more games…..”
OR
you’re allowed one season with 8 games on the practice squad. I believe in the practice squad scenario you can only get that credit one time though vs being on the practice squad every year AND you may have to be on the roster the following year.
This was from the previous CBA….not sure what they define it as now.
June 12th, 2020 at 3:07 pm
He’s another 2nd round bust picked by none other than the good ol’ backstabber.
June 12th, 2020 at 3:12 pm
Thanks. And yeah, who knows what the new language is.
June 12th, 2020 at 3:45 pm
It’s really a bad deal for the kid. Had a good first year and nothing since. Even if he gets out of the boot and get back to training he’s going to be a long time until he’s football ready. Any type of cardio with a boot has gotta be close to notta. The other part is his injuries has been to his legs and feet and who knows if he will be as fast or quick as he once was. So even if he is healed by week one he’s got so much work to do and may never be close to a pro athlete ever again. I really wish the best for him because losing your dream you’ve worked so hard for over something you can’t control really has to be a lock in the ole sack.
June 12th, 2020 at 4:04 pm
Dam you Joe!:)
June 12th, 2020 at 7:00 pm
they’ve all but moved on from evans by restocking the defensive backfield heartily over the past couple years…
he has one last chance to make a stand for his job…
it’s a shame what has happened to evans and beckwith…
both showed a lot of promise early on…
especially beckwith
June 12th, 2020 at 8:31 pm
He’s still in a boot after all this time? You have to question if he wants to play. Hanging on by a thread in persuit of a cheesy injury settlement.
June 12th, 2020 at 10:11 pm
There is a reason, other than being lucky, that they drafted Winfield. They know that they cannot trust Evans to make a comeback.
It is more of a shame about Beckwith, he was a monster.
If Evans makes it back it will not be this season, his muscles will need too much work.
June 13th, 2020 at 12:11 am
I was pulling for Dalvin cook in that draft :/ look at how he’s doing now and look at O.J. sometimes you need to just take the obvious choice. Our biggest need was running back and we missed out on that.