Playing The Tom Brady Card
September 2nd, 2023
“Mark, this agent needs a diaper.”
Bucs fans have busy arguing about team-first Mike Evans going me-first and barking publicly about a new contract as a new era rapidly approaches under Baker Mayfield with a revamped offense.
A former Bucs general manager has joined the debate.
The man Bucs GM Jason Licht replaced, former rock star general manager Mark Dominik, is the SiriusXM NFL Radio draft guru as well as a co-host. He also hired Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg, the current contract god at One Buc Palace.
Dominik was on The Blitz this week talking Bucs and had several firm opinions on the Evans situation.
He called using the 2024 franchise tag on Evans an “enticing situation.”
Yes, Dominik knows the tag is going to be over $20 million and the Bucs salary cap will feel it even more. But Dominik sees the tag as a negotiating tactic that, while not so “nice,” is one the organization knows is viable.
A three-year extension is what Evans surely wants, Dominik said, and he surmised it’s likely in the $27 million or $28 million range. Then he pulled the Team Glazer card, suggesting his deep understanding of ownership leads tells him the Bucs will pay Evans.
“Knowing Tampa, knowing ownership, if this is somewhere around the $25 million mark, my gut instinct is they get it done,” Dominik said.
Joe agrees.
Joe has gotten a good laugh out of Evans’ agent moaning about not being offered a contract. If you’re telling the Bucs you’re not playing for less than X million per year, would you rather the team insult you by offering X- $2.5 million annually?
Evans isn’t a baby, though his agent is making him look like one. Why Team Evans decided that’s a good idea? Joe has no idea.
Evans signed a contract and renogotiated it several times to help the team, though that did not mean he pocketed less money. He’s in the final season of the deal and Team Glazer, as Dominik suggested, is surely playing “The Tom Brady Card” through Licht — all part of the contract game.
For those wondering, The Tom Brady Card means the Bucs are pleading with Evans to understand their salary cap plight that was created by overspending while Brady was in Tampa.
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:51 pm
And Brady never really was paid all that much
September 2nd, 2023 at 4:53 pm
How To Be A Successful NFL GM – Tip #1
– Whatever Mark Dominik says to do – do the exact opposite.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:01 pm
It bothers me, though, that the agent says no offers have been made, to Mike. That is very surprising and if true, I can see how it has come to this. I am worried.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:11 pm
If Baker Mayfield is throwing the football, all wr’s should ask for more money. I’m
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:14 pm
Not a good vibe going into the season especially for a young and unsettled team
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:20 pm
This is not an uncommon situation. A late prime veteran wants $. After a season in which production and attitude dipped, often noticeably. Was that an anomaly in a bad season (for the entire team) or the beginning of a trend? How much is he really worth? In a rebuild/youth scenario, does he belong on the roster? Hard choice.
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:23 pm
Just one question to ME:
“Why this, why now?”
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Yea no they’re playing the we have younger core guys we want to pay first card and the agent definitely knows it
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:32 pm
Why now? They can boot him out the door next year when his value is lower or make him play out the rest of his contrac. If he’s injured he then gets booted out the door with even lower value. I’m team ME13
September 2nd, 2023 at 5:45 pm
They are reloading, not rebuilding. Davis and Dean arent getting younger. Same with Winfield and Wirfs. Its a win now window of a few years. You gotta lock ME13 down for that span. You also lose out on your bigger Godwin investment by having no franchise qb and no Mike Evans. Its not a hard decision. Dont tell him there is no Brady money. Tell him the truth, there needs to be a way for all parties to move on if it goes sidways in a year or two. I think somewhere around $25 will get it done. LFG.
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:02 pm
“It bothers me, though, that the agent says no offers have been made”
Well, if they’re asking/demanding $25-$27 million per for 3 years nearly all guaranteed, and you offer like $21 , NON guaranteed…what’s being accomplished?
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:05 pm
Well I guess the #3 receiver is now #2, you’re up Rakim Jarrett. Is that why the Bucs are playing hardball?
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:24 pm
Deeply disgusting how in the corner for ownership you guys are. Evans, “looks like a baby,” but not one word of criticism for ownership playing hardball with a guy who has been nothing but a Company Man since the day he arrived. Incredibly stupid that the Glazers let it get this far, but you wouldn’t know it from this site.
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:37 pm
Football is BIG business for the players and the owners!! All will be good!
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:41 pm
Are we still Minnesota ready?
🤦♂️
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:48 pm
We’re probably Tennessee ready lol
September 2nd, 2023 at 6:54 pm
Why ?
Because his agent is probably tired of the Bucs sitting on their wallet.
ME has been the consummate team player, it’s time to protect himself.
Sheet or get off the pot OBP
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:00 pm
DoooshLaRue , Well said 👏. This is a big distraction before the first game. Pay Evans and we SAVE money on the cap this year and next. That’s been the talk all off-season is getting Evans a new deal and lower his cap hit . He’s one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL , not just our Bucs. He’s still playing like a #1 WR . Last year was on Brady for all the off the field stuff he had going on. Mike had a good year , just not the year he had the previous 2 . Pay him and let’s go kick the doodoo out of the Vikings and AINTS. GO BUCS AND MIKE EVANS
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:02 pm
SB~LV – Agree 👍
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Love Mike. He’s been great. The greatest, even. Where the Bucs are as a team, I’d trade him for picks rather than give him a big contract. I see it as a win-win.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:14 pm
franchise the fugg out of him…
– 28 mil next year
– 20% increase on top of that the year after
– 44% increase on top of the 20% he would already have gotten, if you do it a 3rd year
how’s that for hooking mike up !
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:14 pm
Mike’s at the point in his career where if he holds out he’ll never get that lost money back. I think they’ll do what they did to David, let him test the market like David, etc, and gauge his true worth. I doubt very much any team will give him a 3 year deal worth 28 million a year.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:31 pm
For how classy ME13 has bin over the years this has deff bin a head scratcher. Huge fan of his. I don’t want to see him go but at the end of the day it’s a business. Not many 30 plus receivers are good bets for extension not saying he won’t be. I hope he’s a buc for life but this is deff ridic right before the start of the season.
September 2nd, 2023 at 7:46 pm
Brady took middle-level QB salaries for well over 15 years, and magically, it got him 7 rings. Who would have thought giving up a few million annually would yield better talent around him??
Love me some Mike Evans, and want him to get paid his due, but everything has a time and a place. Ball out bro, and good things will come to you.
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:07 pm
25 mill?
Say what?
Stupid.
Evans is not worth $25 mil/yr
We are screwed if we do that.
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:22 pm
“Evans is not worth $25 mil/yr
We are screwed if we do that.”
That’s the thing–everyone who says “PAY THE MAN” needs to understand that we don’t HAVE any money NOW because we’ve done that so many times. For example, if Vita breaks his ankle again, we don’t HAVE any money to bring in a top tier DT
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:28 pm
Uh what??? Evans isn’t worth 23-25 mil? I guess we’ll see when there’s no one else to double team except Godwin which no team will do anyway. Besides he’s 27 and he’ll be 29 when his contract is up and he’ll get the boot also
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:29 pm
The Glazers let John Lynch walk and Warren Sapp walk, why does anyone think they won’t let Mike Evans go too.
September 2nd, 2023 at 8:43 pm
My heart says pay the man. My head is saying it’s not a good football decision.
September 2nd, 2023 at 9:19 pm
What a dumb distraction before the first game of the season. For a “leader” to create potential clubhouse animosity because he isn’t guaranteed three years on his contract is diva stuff. I don’t blame M1K3 I blame his dumb agent for waiting a week before the season to do this. The Bucs have always loved Evans and if we weren’t in cap hell the contract would already be done. There is something called being a team player and if he goes out and has a great season I don’t see what he’s so worried about, he’s getting paid regardless
September 2nd, 2023 at 10:08 pm
The team is going to stink, so get Evans signed up and pay him as you’re not going to be spending any money at QB in the near future as you’ll be drafting one really high.
September 3rd, 2023 at 12:23 am
When you hear the media and other try-hard influencers keep telling the fans that “it will get done”, you start to think it will not get done. Of course that is what you say right before the season, because you are trying to sell tickets and “excitement”. The reality is that Licht seems on edge about this whenever the subject is brought up. The amount of lies every preseason is cring.
September 3rd, 2023 at 2:24 am
Why does everyone think people are lying to them?
Bad relationships?
Bad parents?
This is the NFL and people want $.
The NFL wants money.
The owners want money.
This is as cut and dry as it gets.
Ask Warren Buffet and don’t let emotions get in the way.
When people are buying, sell, and when people ate selling, buy.
Why, because they are doing it out of emotions.
NO WAY IN HELL, is ME13 worth even $25 Million.
It’s just not smart business.
Once the season starts, we WILL get the best version of Evans we can hope for.
We have a major NFL record in play to prove that.
OBP holds all the cards and his agent is way late to this game.
Also seems like he has never even played the game before.
LFG Bucs!!!
September 3rd, 2023 at 4:57 am
We saw this with d. White before training camp, bucs didn’t pay him, not gonna be any different with evens.
September 3rd, 2023 at 6:25 am
Joe I stop reading at Peter Kng, Mark Dominik, Chris Simms, Colin Cowherd etc.. As they have nothing to say that I find the least bit interesting or for that mater sane.
Go Bucs!
September 3rd, 2023 at 8:35 am
$23 – $25 for three years is reasonable, expect the salary cap to go up each year… you are not paying a QB big money for the foreseeable future, if Baker falters, you draft a rookie or role with an inexpensive Trask. Your money basically goes to Evans, Wirfs, maybe White and Winfield. Your CB’s are already paid – who else on the Bucs will command big money. You got Brady, potentially Jensen and LVD off the books, depends on what they want to do.
September 3rd, 2023 at 10:04 am
Evan’s is no longer #1 WR material. Sure he is valuable but to pay this guy $25M is ridiculous. $19, $20 at the very most or $39 for 2yrs.
September 3rd, 2023 at 1:49 pm
Evans is by far the best receiver we have ever and probably will ever draft in our entire history. From scrubs to dubs he always balled out . He’s our best no matter who’s coaching qbn or receiving. Always a team first guy and ME next. Never asked to be highest paid. He deserves a three year $75 mil final contract to finish his career in Tampa Bay he’s already earned it
September 3rd, 2023 at 6:39 pm
Devante Adams age 30.
Hall of Fame, elite receiver.
Last contract – 2022.
28,000,000 for 5 years.
Mike Evans age 30.
Hall of Fame, elite receiver.
Next contract: the end of 2023.
00,000,000 for three years.
How difficult is it to fill-in that last line of “O’s”
This is how they do it with quarterbacks, isn’t?
Why is it that, with receivers and RBs, every little comment by an agent, or blither by a media commentator, has to be run-through a social commentary grinder to be used as negotiation fodder?
Be happy you’re not pathetically and frantically thumbing-through the left-over free agent market looking for a receiver; as you had to do with the “quarterback-minus-Brady-problem.” Be happy you have one of the best-ever receivers with a great attitude, and who’s ready to sign.
The crybabies are the ones, considering what’s at stake, who care about a couple o’ mill here or there.