Mike Evans An Example Of How Hard Work Pays Off
December 6th, 2023
Result of hard work.
Boys and girls, this is a story of how you become elite and stay elite.
Albert Breer of SI.com in his Monday notebook column took time to give Bucs receiver Mike Evans props for his 10th-straight season of 1,000 yards receiving to start his career. An NFL record.
Breer briefly took readers back to Evans’ college days where he played in the shadows of a Texas schoolboy legend, Johnny Football.
And it is Evans, not Johnny Football, who is leaving a lasting imprint on the NFL.
… Evans came out of Texas A&M in 2014 and was the first draft pick of then new GM Jason Licht. You may remember, too, that he happened to be overshadowed a bit back then by a college teammate of his who liked to have a good time, and let that good time drive him out of football. Meanwhile, Johnny Manziel’s top target from A&M put his head down, and worked, and worked and worked.
And his amazing accomplishment is a nice testament to all that work—you don’t achieve that kind of longevity in the league without it.
Joe thought Bucs coach Todd Bowles hit the nail on the head. All you need to understand about Evans’ greatness is that every defensive coordinator knows he has to take out Evans yet week after week, season after season, Evans produces.
That’s a rare player. Teams game plan to take him out and he still racks up catches, yards and touchdowns.
Evans has noted how one of the biggest thing he learned in the NFL iss that you have to take care of your body or you won’t last long, and that in itself takes a lot of work.
Given that Evans has been top-shelf level for a decade, that says it all.
.@Buccaneers WR Mike Evans recorded 1,000 rec yards for his 10th straight season in Week 13, tying @ProFootballHOF WR Randy Moss. 🤯
Only HOF WR Jerry Rice has a longer streak (11 years) and more total seasons (14).
More team history: https://t.co/RDDhZCS37F pic.twitter.com/8kqOSQ2Hlo
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) December 5, 2023
December 6th, 2023 at 5:30 am
I could see Mike moving on to a team like the Texans in his home state. It all depends where the Bucs go the rest of this season. Mike should look to sign with a team that has a chance. The Bucs could be in total rebuild with a rookie coach, and QB. Evans deserves better. Enjoy him the rest of this season.
December 6th, 2023 at 6:30 am
Bowles talks out of both sides of his mouth. Probably trying to boost player support for his job. Be gone!
December 6th, 2023 at 6:42 am
He wanted to re-sign. He asked to re-sign. Licht did not do it.
If Mike Evans leaves, then that will be a shame.
If he stays, it will be more expensive for the team. That’s okay. Pay the best the highest.
When they made the idiotic move to hire Rah, they let Derrick Brooks go. It was a mistake. Huge. What he could have done to help the flailing, young, immature coach could have made a major difference.
Bowles is gone. He’s like a weed sprayed with Roundup.
The new HC will need Evans.
Don’t make that mistake again. Keep Evans. No matter the cost.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:07 am
5 years. 100 million.
50 million signing bonus. (Career Achievement Bonus)
75 million guaranteed.
Done.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:23 am
OT: Congrats to Baker and his wife on their first baby announcement (due April 2024).
December 6th, 2023 at 7:26 am
Joe made a pocket full of shells on Evans Sunday.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Mike has gotten faster this year, and that is no small feat for 30.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:32 am
As long as Mike stays healthy he’s gonna play. I think he’s going for longevity just like Rice or Brady. Maybe even age 38-40. He’s got a minimum 5 more 1k seasons in those legs. Minimum.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:35 am
Talk about beating a dead horse. I’ll post it again:
Evans’s 59.2% catch % 61 for 103 the worst of the top 3.
Godwin 69.4 with 85 targets
White 90.5
If Baker threw more to Godwin & White Bucs win more games instead of forcing the 1000 yds to Mile. Actually Evan’s has a lower catch % than Palmer & Thompkins as well. A 75yd catch due to broken coverage against a 1-10 team is really Elite or first ballet HOF. I agree he is a HOFer because he’s a team player, great role model and well above average receiver but elite, not so much.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:42 am
Pay him, keep him…..period.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:45 am
Before the season, Devin White was on the ‘need to resign’ list.
No more.
Use the money White never earned to pay Evans.
December 6th, 2023 at 8:00 am
Run Mike run !
FA
December 6th, 2023 at 8:59 am
Hey Modhairkin, Did you forget how much cash we did not have to sign players, because of the Brady years? We had a party and won the big dance, and it cost us cap space. Our GM decided to eat that cap space up as best he could this season. I hope Evans stays a Buc for his entire NFL career. Where or who were you when we signed Evans, I was here very excited that we drafted him. Next year the cap should go up, and our cap space should be in a better way. We will also have other players who need to be paid. I bet that we sign Evans, and Winfield.
December 6th, 2023 at 9:35 am
NE, are you realls trying to tell us, it’s easier to catch an uncontested 3 yard pass behind the LOS than catching one 40 yards downfield while beeing double covered?
December 6th, 2023 at 9:41 am
German, why do you ask? Is that where Thompkins, Palmer and Godwin make all their receptions? So Baker doesn’t throw quick hitters like slants to Evan’s? Baker is #10 in the league for passes 35yds or longer and 9th 20 yds, so according to those stats he seems to constantly like to air it out. Next question???
December 6th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Make Mikey a Buccaneer for life please. He’s the lone glimmer of joy in Todd Bowles’ sewer.
December 6th, 2023 at 10:24 am
Mike Evans deserves props except for all his drops…
I hope the Bucs will be able to bring Mike back but he might have other plans than to play for a rebuilding team with a rookie or Mayfield at QB.
If I were Mike Evans I would want to go play for a contender. Can you imagine him catching TDs from Pat Mahomes or Joe Burrow? Yikes.
December 6th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Greatest thing for the Bucs organization. Dude comes across as a decent human, a great teammate and is the kind of person a fan cheers for even when the team is in the throws of yr after yr of sub par results. I am certain the Glazers know and appreciate what Mike has done through the dark days of BucBall during his playing yrs here. I certainly hope they can find a way to keep him without hamstringing the future. Definitely hard to think of a longer tenured Buc who has played at a consistently high level and is this likeable. Will always be up there with the Best Bucs and the top of the NFL. First ballot in my book.
December 6th, 2023 at 12:07 pm
NE Fan your statistics are a logically fallacy when you do not include Average Targets Air Yards (TAR).
Even if you did not want to consider that statistic, if you are watching the games, your eyeballs tell you that Evans has more value than any of our other targets this year.
But I will give you the TAR stats so you can include them next time.
Justin Watson. TAR 18.2, 51% catch, 332 total yards.
Christian Watson. TAR 16.2, 53% catch, 442 yards.
DeAndre Hopkins: TAR 15.0, 53% catch, 774 yards.
Mike Evans: TAR 14.8, 59% catch, 1012 yards.
Alec Pierce. TAR 14.7, 56% catch, 391 yards.
Rashid Shaheed. TAR 14.6, 60% catch, 534 yards.
Mike has 10 receiving TDs. Those other 5 have a total of 16 TDs.
Stop dissing on our boy and go back to rooting for the Patriots and the Patriot Way.
December 6th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
By the way. Profootball Reference does a statistic on receptions called
“Success Rate”
Defined by a player that gets at least 40% of yards on 1st down, 60% of yards on 2nd downs, and 100% of yards on third downs. When looking at that category as only a receptions category.
Evans leads all Bucs in that category.
Evans 1st
White 2nd
Otton 3rd
Godwin 4th
December 6th, 2023 at 1:16 pm
geno, I gave you % of catches versus targets? Yards have nothing to do with my stats. I am just stating his % is lower than others on the team. He has about 15 more targets than Godwin and less than White, the others aren’t really in the discussion.
December 6th, 2023 at 2:19 pm
NE Fan Says:
December 6th, 2023 at 7:35 am
Talk about beating a dead horse. I’ll post it again:
Evans’s 59.2% catch % 61 for 103 the worst of the top 3.
Godwin 69.4 with 85 targets
White 90.5
If Baker threw more to Godwin & White Bucs win more games instead of forcing the 1000 yds to Mile. Actually Evan’s has a lower catch % than Palmer & Thompkins as well. A 75yd catch due to broken coverage against a 1-10 team is really Elite or first ballet HOF. I agree he is a HOFer because he’s a team player, great role model and well above average receiver but elite, not so much.
^^^^^^^^
Brady is gone, why are you still here?
December 6th, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Joe, aren’t you in Michigan??? Pot calling the kettle!
December 6th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
FYI, Joe in Michigan, I may not live in Tampa but I do have a place in Delray which makes me a parttime Floridian.