Should Bucs Fans Be Spooked By Root Cause Of Davante Adams/Jordan Love Drama In Green Bay?
June 10th, 2022
Mike Evans and his long-term future.
Joe got the shivers last night thinking about a Tom Brady-less Bucs team. Yes, it could happen in eight months.
Brady is in the final year of his contract. He will turn 45 in training camp and he has long had the goal of playing at age 45. He was retired for a grand total of 40 days and 40 nights this winter (before he rose from the dead and had his rapture).
Next year could be the beginning of the Kyle Trask era in Tampa.
“Hey Joe, so f’ing what? What are you trying to get at?”
Well, look at what happened in Green Bay. Receiver Davante Adams, 29, didn’t want to play with largely inexperienced and raw Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Current Packers starter Aaron Rodgers may also be playing in his final season and Adams said he didn’t want to play with a green quarterback at this stage of his career, per Shanna McCarriston of CBS Sports.
“Because where I am in my career — and this isn’t a shot at anybody, any other quarterbacks, in Green Bay, I love Jordan Love especially, he’s a great guy — I got aspirations of doing really, really big things and being remembered, and it just wasn’t really a point in my career that I was willing to sacrifice Aaron not being there after a year or two.”
What does Adams forcing a trade from Green Bay to Las Vegas have to do with the Bucs? Well, the Bucs have a future Hall of Fame receiver in Mike Evans, 28.
In an interview during Super Bowl week when Brady was retired, Evans was clearly bummed about Brady retiring and said the Bucs really need to have a plan at quarterback.
Now Joe doesn’t think Evans is the kind of guy to force a trade to avoid playing with a young, inexperienced quarterback. But in recent interview, including earlier this week, Evans shared his deep love of playing for a winner after losing so much for so long to begin his career.
Everyone is human. If, after Brady retires, Evans had a chance to go play with Justin Herbert or Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen and continue to compete for a Super Bowl favorite, would he be tempted?
Evans’ agent sure would be.
Also, remember Evans is currently the 16th-highest-paid receiver.
Evans comes across as a really loyal guy. After all, he played with Stewart McClown. But that was when he was a rookie. Evans is on a Hall of Fame track now. The best way to continue that and to get paid would be to play for an established stud quarterback while Evans enters his 30s and the final years of his career.
While Joe thinks (hopes?) it will never come to this with Evans, it is something to monitor.
Enjoy Part I of Todd Bowles (and much more) on the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:23 am
I think you answered alot of your concerns there joe . First off , Evans caught alot of touchdowns and yards even with scrubs throwing the ball . Glennon , McCown , Fitz , and others . My best guess is he would continue to produce at a high level with Trask or some other . I feel that would get him paid by the BUCS for his last contract to keep him as a but for life . Yes the losing may or may not come after brady leaves but I don’t see that as the reason Mike takes a hike !
June 10th, 2022 at 7:31 am
Can’t say I would blame him. The man has been loyal to the Bucs during the bad times and he’s finally has that taste of winning. Hebert would be the perfect next QB for Evan’s. Buffalo & KC are probably a little too cold for his liking. Godwin will eventually follow. Once Brady left NE, the Pat’s had to pay through the nose for good and not so good free agents. The same will most likely happen in Tampa.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:33 am
From what I’ve seen with Adams, it was more about being back with Carr @ quarterback. In my opinion Evans would become the 25th highest paid WR for the right quarterback.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:34 am
Well I think this is surely jumping the shark territory, how exactly are we supposed to monitor this?
June 10th, 2022 at 7:37 am
Once TB12 goes, the team gets blown up. That’s always been the reality of what the bucs are doing. And I don’t blame them – because without ‘the guy’ under Center you don’t have a chance in the NFL. And pre-Brady we didn’t have ‘the guy’
I’d rather win a SB or two then rebuild rather than persistently Accept mediocrity.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:40 am
Hope it never happens and he retires a Buc, but if he chose to leave, he has that right! He’s been nothing but a HOF caliber player and professional!
June 10th, 2022 at 8:14 am
I see Joe woke up on the conspiracy theory side of the bed this morning. Slow news day I guess. That’s 15 seconds of my life I’ll never get back.
June 10th, 2022 at 8:19 am
They could always trade for non-Americas QB, crab leg stealing, turnover machine, pro bowl alternate famous Jameis! We could even throw in kidz bop-star former GM Mark Dominik!
June 10th, 2022 at 8:43 am
He got yards with josh mccown and rookie Winston with all his interceptions. Nothing like the Adams situation at all. Dude wanted to play with his best friend and chose to play with a lesser quarterback so that kills your theory plus evans could always be renegotiated.
June 10th, 2022 at 9:36 am
This is missing the Aaron Rodgers extension element that more than likely had an impact on what GB was going to offer Devante Adams. Both deals happened within two weeks of one another and Rodgers has said he was shocked, but it’s kind of hard for me to believe he wasn’t made aware of how his contract may effect GBs front office ability to retain Adams. Could be wrong, but we’ve seen QBs take less to keep key pieces of their offense on the squad.
Not worried about Evans bolting post-Brady, partly because if he were the type of player to do that, then how’d that explain him staying through the Jameis Winston experiment?
June 10th, 2022 at 9:41 am
Bucs have a coupe of good things going, if Evans wanted to go home, he is not going to play for Lovie and the Texans, secondly, there is no reunion with his colleg QB, Johnny football. Maybe he goes to Miami with TB 12, but I doubt it, but dang, ME and Tyreke with TB12 would be scary, just a bad dream here)
June 10th, 2022 at 9:46 am
Seems to me ME13 is not that diva kind of guy neither CG, I am not saying that couldn´t happen, but I would be really susrprised….. And disappointed of course…
June 10th, 2022 at 10:44 am
This is dumb. Why imagine problems that don’t exist?
Being a selfish tool isn’t a guarantee for the WR position. Evans has always been a team first guy and there’s no reason to think he’ll change that. Also, Godwin wouldn’t have signed a 3 year contract if he thought bailing on the Bucs after Brady leaves was in his plans. We’re lucky because Jason Licht drafts team-first guys.
Joe is apparently bored. This is pure bunk.
June 10th, 2022 at 10:59 am
I just can’t see Mike demanding a trade and would we really let or best drafted offensive player ever go? I know that we’ve let stars leave before, but Mike is producing at a far higher level than Sapp, Dunn, and Brooks when we parted ways with them. Our medical team screwed the pooch with Lynch and we should have kept him.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:24 am
For the next six weeks, hopefully, this kind of drivel is all we’ll get.
Almost any big news, untill camp, will be bad news.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:46 am
thinking about a Tom Brady-less Bucs team.-
Unless they draft or Trask becomes an Andrew Luck – see Indianapolis Colts.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:53 am
Dooley, I agree. Rodgers was more interested in getting paid, than leaving enough on the table for Adams. I really think Rodgers could care less about winning. Evans next deal won’t break the bank either. I don’t think bucs fans have much to worry about where Evans is concerned. I can’t say that for everyone on the bucs roster though.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
I’m no Jay-Miss fan and I knew he was going to be a bust for the Bucs in the middle of his 3rd year. That said, five of Evans’ 1,000 yard receiving seasons came with Jay-Miss throwing him the ball.
Evans has his ring and he’s been a team first guy. Once Brady is gone it will have to be all about the money for Evans and I would not blame him. Make no mistake he’s on the back nine of his career. He should be looking out for himself and if that means a huge contract from another team I would not blame him if he took it.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:01 pm
Adams used that for an excuse he was jealous because Whiny Aaron got the big money so he wanted out.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
D-Rome, I get the sentiment, but the last 3 seasons with Winston, Evans only tallied 21 TD passes. Playing with Brady the past 2 seasons he matched that 3 year tally in 1 less season and added 6 additional TDs(27 TDs in 2 years). Also went over a thousand yards catching passes from McCown, Glennon and part-time Fitzmagic sprinkled in there.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Kinda hard to believe he’s only 28 still with as much amazing play as he has had.
June 10th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
More than likely Mike Evans will retire a Tampa Bay Buc…….
But….there’s always the “what-if, what-if” for the media to chum….
What if Brady leaves…..what if Mike wants to leave…..
How about what if Brady stays another year….that’s a what if I like.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:35 pm
I don’t think it’ll happen. I remember when he was a free agent and there were rumors he wanted to go back to his hometown of Texas, but then we signed him up longterm. He’s made his home in Tampa for sure. He’s definitely a pillar in the community from what I hear. Definitely on the Mt. Rushmore of Bucs football.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:31 pm
Actually, if Brady retires next year, the best thing the Bucs could do IS trade away Evans. It’s not like we have a hard time getting good WRs here, and it would not only free up a bunch of cap space, but it would add some great draft capital as well.
And…Evans is actually getting up there in age. Next year is the perfect time to trade him…unless Brady plays another year.
June 11th, 2022 at 1:22 am
You don’t trade away franchise cornerstones and Hall of Famers. It makes your organization look idiotic and it takes away from pride in the franchise and fan loyalty.
June 11th, 2022 at 6:50 am
This season we have to figure out if Trask is a player or not. We KNOW Gabbert is NOT. We got caught flat footed with TB ‘retiring’. Still not sure what that was about. But it exposed how unprepared we are. And so far, nothing’s changed.
June 11th, 2022 at 7:54 am
When youre going all in for a few years, youre going to have a big fall. If we go back to 4-12 seasons, I wouldn’t blame him one bit unless he was a jerk about it.
June 13th, 2022 at 3:22 am
Evans is and always will be a BUC for life ! He’s said it countless times and he’s not the Adams or Hill Diva me first player that would do that to our Bucs and us fans. He will retire a BUC