Baker Mayfield On Mike Evans
May 24th, 2023
Baker Mayfield talks up Bucs’ stud receiver Mike Evans.
Joe hates to type this, but Joe also doesn’t believe in looking the other way when potentially ugly information is obvious.
Raise a hand if you forgot that Bucs stud receiver Mike Evans is in a contract year. That’s right, Evans’ contract expires after this season.
Also, Evans turns 30 in Augusts. So he’s no longer a spring chicken.
Still, don’t try to tell Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield that Evans is ready for the NFL old folks home.
“He’s a great guy first and foremost, a true competitor,” said Mayfield. “I think people disregard [his speed]. He’s obviously a taller receiver and a longer guy, but he can still move.
“His speed will catch you off guard. He is a special player and has been for a long time, so I am excited to get to play with him.”
Joe is confident Jalen Ramsey can confirm Evans isn’t slow. 🙂
If this happens to be Evans’ last year with the Bucs, Joe sure hopes Mayfield can feed Evans the ball early and often so Evans goes out with a bang.
SCORE Brady 55-yd TD pass to Mike Evans#Rams 27 #Buccaneers 20 Q4 pic.twitter.com/N3pwOoZYl0
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) January 23, 2022
May 24th, 2023 at 8:03 am
Are there any other players on the Bucs other than Mini Mayfield?
May 24th, 2023 at 8:05 am
If only the defense didn’t forget about Kupp. That throw and comeback gave me goosebumps. No doubt in my mind that if we pull that one off, we win the whole damn thing.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:12 am
Mike will be a Buc after this season. His leadership can’t be replaced and who exactly do the Bucs have outside of Mike and CG? Licht will get Mike his bag and work the cap. I have zero doubt. If Mike suddenly falls off and only gets 600 yards this season, then we can talk about life after Mike. But, if he racks up another 1,000 yard season with yet another journeyman QB, you’d have to have zero football IQ to watch him walk out the door. Mike will be loyal if we respect his talent with a competitive contract.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:17 am
The writings are all over the walls “Bucs Are Rebuilding”
…….they don’t have enough money to pay an aging receiver at the end of his career.
He’ll be gone….good luck ME13 in 2024!!!
May 24th, 2023 at 8:17 am
“No doubt in my mind that if we pull that one off, we win the whole damn thing.”
Same. Whoever won that game was gonna win the SB
May 24th, 2023 at 8:23 am
Joe sure hopes Mayfield can feed Evans the ball early and often so Evans goes out with a bang.
Is this an insinuation that Evans will not be resigned?…….I think not…..Mike Evans will be a Buc for his entire career……
May 24th, 2023 at 8:30 am
Trask to Evans is going to be awesome!
May 24th, 2023 at 8:31 am
“Tampabaybucfan Says:
May 24th, 2023 at 8:23 am
…..Mike Evans will be a Buc for his entire career……”
——————————————————————
……ME13 is highly regarded as one of the best WRs in the league for many years……………do you really think he’s gonna miss out on his biggest LAST payday of his career by taking a pay cut just for Loyalty??????????……….I don’t think so…..he’s gonna follow the money and get a much bigger payday next year with a playoff contention team, which the Bucs are not……keep dreaming Bro.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:34 am
You all have to remember no state taxes makes playing in Florida more financial lucrative than many other states so that taking a bit less money looks team friendly but ends up the same after the tax man gets his.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:34 am
There is absolutely no way they allow Evans to walk away in free agency, especially if they’re in a position to draft a young QB. I don’t think Evans probably wants that either.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:35 am
I think Mike will be a Buc as long as he wants to be. He’s never chased the money, he’s the best WR in team history, and he was Licht’s very first draft pick.
May 24th, 2023 at 8:44 am
I hope management values this man. He has been here is really bad times and thrived. He is a NFL record holder, active and adding to it. He has been a team leader. He has been great for the community.
Mike Evans is the kind of guy you build a team around. He totally breaks the mold of the diva WR.
If they stupidly let him leave, it will be a very sad day.
This guy should be a Buc for life. ROH. HOF. And hopefully keep his family in Tampa and become a community leader.
I hope you’re reading this, Joel Glazer.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Y’all crazy if you think ME13 is leaving. He’s still elite even at the age of 30. He will be resigned. He’s not a diva. He’s not just going to leave for more money. He will retire a buc
May 24th, 2023 at 9:01 am
LOL mike isn’t leaving next year joe. Hes literally one of the only contracts we can restructure to get enough of the cap for the season and for the rookies. He’ll sign an extension my guess is for 2-3 years.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:04 am
A lot of NFL WR loose speed around 30. At 33, very few have enough burst to separate from the average CB. I doubt Evans will be highly sought after this year.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:05 am
The “no state taxes” thing isn’t a thing. Lots of professional ball players establish Florida residency while on the rosters of teams in other states. All one needs to do is buy or rent a piece of property and declare it your domicile.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:10 am
It would be great is Mike Evans has another year of 1,000 plus yards generated via pass completions…
May 24th, 2023 at 9:31 am
Anthem….save your post….If they weren’t keeping him, they would have traded him.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:36 am
Evans was never slow. Anybody who thought so has not paid attention or only believes what they read. In the Koetter years, we went deep to Evans a lot and that was where the complaints with JW started. Seemed like he missed Evans on those deep sideline routes more than he hit him.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:36 am
That video never gets old.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:40 am
We’ll have an extra $35 million next year (getting rid of Brady’s money) plenty to pay Evans. I just hope he gets his thousand yards again
May 24th, 2023 at 9:47 am
Sure. You want Joe to invent plays? You know, like Trey Palmer at quarterback throwing to Joe Tryon at wideout? This never happened but if you don’t like reading about plays from players actually on the field touching the football, then Joe has to play Danielle Steel.
If people want fiction, it would save Joe tons of time and cash.
And no, Joe is not going to write about third-string tech support agents. There are sites out that they love to write about future UPS drivers. And, as a result, they have a fraction of the traffic Joe has.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:51 am
Sadly, this is a perception of Mike Evans. That’s why you never see his name up there with the Justin Jeffersons or Jamarr Chases. “Big slot receiver.” (Those are not Joe’s words.)
May 24th, 2023 at 9:52 am
🙂
May 24th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Followed by Bowles Magnificent Blunder.
May 24th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Mike never really NEEDED to win with speed. His jump ball skills have always been elite. But that doesn’t mean he’s slow. He often surprises faster DBs by blowing right by them just like he did Ramsey. And let’s not even talk about how many times he’s drawn valuable PI calls when a toasted DB just started mugging him out of desparation.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:01 am
Mike Evans is literally the perfect player.
Not only does he hold the record for consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, he is extremely unselfish.
What a pleasure to watch his entire career.
I think the main reason he is not coveted for his speed is the hamstring issues he has dealt with.
Remember, several years ago, he worked with a speed coach and took his routes to the next level.
I’m sure Mayfield will feed him the ball, or Trask for that matter.
Any of our QBs would be insane to NOT look in his direction if we can’t move the ball.
He will be a BUC for his entire career!!!!
May 24th, 2023 at 10:07 am
If Mike walked in free agency this year, I personally would not like it but would want it to be on the heels of another 1000 yard season.
As long as he is a Buc, I don’t ever want to see him with less than 1000 yards. That said, I can see him easily putting up 1000 a year until he is 34-35 like some of the greats in Buc history. ala VJac and a couple others.
That said, the only reason Mike would walk at this point is if the Bucs disrespected him and didn’t pay him. He is not ring chasing anymore. He deserves the Fitsgerald treatment.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:10 am
Quick note: Florida isn’t the only state without taxes.
As to moving on from him…I would guess that depends on whether another young WR rises to play at his level.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:32 am
We can’t afford him now but should be fine next year.
We’re projecting to have at least $32M in cap space next year after we eat it on Brady this year. That’s including a $12M cap hit for Mike Evans already without a re-worked deal.
That’s also including $6.5M in cap space for Gage which we could cut/save, and a bunch of other contracts that are smaller but flexible.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:34 am
Bucs could free up a lot of salary CAP by restructuring 2 players … Mike Evans ($23.7 mil) and Shaq Barrett ($21.3 mil) … and/or re-signing Devin White ($11.7 mil). That’s over $56 mil tied up in 3 superstars in the last year of their contracts (there’s an OUT after this year for Shaq).
So WHY haven’t any of the 3 been re-signed at a time when the Bucs are so strapped for cash?
o Shaq? Age & injury status. No rush to restructure. Doubt that he’ll be a Buc next year.
o White? Excessive $$$ demand for a MLB in this defense. Devin wants $20 mil a year apparently, and the Top-4 MLBs are only averaging $18.1 mil/year currently. Bucs seem willing to make him prove this year that’s he’s worth $20mil a year.
o Evans? Age & probably salary demands (behind the scene). Spotrac shows his Market Value to be $23 mil a year (2024 FA) based on a 4-year, $92 mil contract. Doubtful the Bucs are willing to invest that in a then 31-year-old at a time when they’re obviously rebuilding.
In the end though, got a suspicion that JL will end up re-signing Mike.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:39 am
Duane, players are taxed based on the state they work in, not where they live.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:49 am
Started his Buc career with McClown and ends his Bucs career with Mini Mayfield.
May 24th, 2023 at 10:53 am
Evans is 6′ 5″… dudes that big never really LOOK fast, but they cover the ground quick enough
May 24th, 2023 at 11:11 am
Great take Maybefield, how about telling us Bucs fans something we already knew.
May 24th, 2023 at 11:24 am
“You all have to remember no state taxes makes playing in Florida more financial lucrative than many other states so that taking a bit less money looks team friendly but ends up the same after the tax man gets his”.
The Tax Man still gets his. Professional Athletes pay taxes for each state they play a game in. So as a for instance. Mike Evans plays 2 games in California. He has to pay taxes on whatever percentage of his salary was earned in California. You can bet that California will be coming for that tax revenue.
May 24th, 2023 at 11:26 am
Pay him whatever he wants. He’s the unquestionably the best Buccaneer offensive player in franchise history. I don’t care if he’s turning 40! ME13 is the number one receiver in the NFL at the end zone fade. A couple of tools got their panties waded up when he knelt a couple of times but other than that nobody has a bad thing to say about him. Why would you ever consider letting him walk?
May 24th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
I, for one, would be really disappointed as a fan since Day 1 if Evans, like David, is not a Buc for life.,
May 24th, 2023 at 12:43 pm
If we are struggling by the trade deadline, it would make sense to me to trade him to a contender.
I’m sure he’d fetch decent draft capital and it would be a win/win and hopefully no hard feelings between ME and the FO.
The “Buc for life” fanboys would have a meltdown but who really cares.
It’s the business of football.
May 24th, 2023 at 1:09 pm
I might be wrong but the cap goes up before the 2024 season right ?
May 24th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
Pretty sure the Bucs are going to do an extension with Evans – if not, I’m not sure where they get the money to sign their rookies. Plus they need a little room to play with during the season.
I’d be surprised if we don’t hear about an extension here pretty shortly.
May 24th, 2023 at 1:35 pm
NEOhiobuc Says:
May 24th, 2023 at 1:09 pm
I might be wrong but the cap goes up before the 2024 season right ?
————
The cap is expected to go up pretty dramatically, $40-60 million is what the rumors have been. Basically if the Bucs resign Evans, he’s going to get $20m I’d guess, however he’s a legit team first guy and if he thinks the Bucs are going to spend his money wisely, he might be willing to leave a few dollars on the table.
But basically people need to readjust their thinking because the cap, between this years unexpected rise, and next years rise, will be much higher than it has been – so things like Devin White getting $18-20m/year, is going to be the norm.
May 24th, 2023 at 2:25 pm
Gator fan bois are out today
May 24th, 2023 at 2:58 pm
If I was Mayfield I wouldn’t be worrying about Evans not being here next year.
May 24th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
“The cap is expected to go up pretty dramatically, $40-60 million is what the rumors have been”
It’s not a rumor, it’s been talked about the last 2-3 years and is projected to push the actual cap closer to/over $300M by 2027. Right now, it’s projected the cap will increase starting in 2024 with an $18-20M boost to the cap in large part to the NFLs broadcasting deal. The NFL itself, is projected to generate $100 Billion in revenue in the next decade starting next season. There are even projections that state QB deals might end up climbing to around $30-$50 Million based of the big bump in the salary cap.
May 24th, 2023 at 5:51 pm
Dooley – well it’s a rumor in that it’s not a fact, the number I’m talking about. But again, I’ve read repeatedly it’s going to be closer to $60m. If it’s only $20m, that’s going to screw up a lot of peoples plans. But I obviously have no additional insight on the actual dollar amount. However, one out on that $60m number, is that might have been including the money that the NFL unexpected got this year, which bumped the cap, what, $12m or something? So if it was $12m this year, and it goes up $20m next year, that’s still a large increase, even if under the low end estimate I’ve seen of $40m.
But yeah, your average starting QB will be making $40m to $50m in a year or two, while star WRs like Godwin will be around $30m.
May 24th, 2023 at 11:42 pm
Thanks for posting that video Joe, seeing that again was a perfect cap to good day
May 25th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
Mike will retire as a Buc.
This ain’t his last season.
May 26th, 2023 at 12:44 am
Kyle Trask is starting his career with Mike Evans is huge. Evans will get his usual 1000 and make Trask better.