Justin Evans And His Foot
July 22nd, 2019
Concern mounts as Bucs make moves
Should Bucs fans be worried? Do we now know why the Bucs drafted safety/corner Mike Edwards on the second night of the draft?
Joe thinks it is now fair to say, “Yes.”
The Bucs today placed several players on the irksome Active/Physically Unable To Perform list to open training camp. One name jumps out: safety Justin Evans.
The third-year safety is still hobbled by a bum foot. He originally got injured last season and that kept him off the field for six games. Evans played in one game the final seven weeks of the 2018 season. Then came news he had a different heel injury and he wore a giant boot through much of spring practice.
We are now nearly eight months from the end of last season and Evans still is on floppy hat patrol and will be for the foreseeable future.
The other somewhat notable name joining Evans on this list is linebacker Jack Cichy, which is not surprising since he’s coming off knee surgery. Again.
Essentially, the Active/PUP list means that if a player is on this list during training camp and he still cannot get on the field at the end of preseason, he can be placed on the Reserve/PUP list, which means he is out for at least the first six games without counting against the roster.
Also today, the Bucs placed free agent quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on the Active/Non-Football Injury list, meaning he can’t practice due to some injury suffered away from One Buc Palace.
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:05 pm
They’re stashing Fitzgerald while Griffin is still in the mix. I would love to see Griffin put Gabbert on the bubble. For one thing Griffin has no more practice squad eligibility. So when the preseason finishes, if he is released (unless another club picks him up) his NFL career could be over. This is his audition, it’s Now or Never.
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Wasnt it already confirmed that the boot Evans was put in was a new heel injury on his opposite foot? I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure the toe injury is behind him.
That being said, I’ve been saying it since the night he was drafted 2 years ago, we’d have been better off taking Kareem Hunt or Alvin Kamara.
I thought he was on his way to proving me wrong after a solid rookie year, but nope, I was right. Coulda had OJ, Alvin Kamara and Godwin all in the same draft man…
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Evans doesn’t have the same injury as last year. He had a left toe injury last year and injured his ankle in a minicamp earlier this year. BA said he will be ready to play game one and expects him to participate in training camp.
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:12 pm
Sucks about Evans toe. I liked him and looked like a riser and now he got this bad injury in his early years. We’ll see what happens.
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:14 pm
Mysterious injuries, indeed…..every last one of them. Brate, Evans, Sweezy & especially Carl Nicks.
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:16 pm
Greg Auman
@gregauman
Bucs announce four players will start training camp on the active/PUP list: safety Justin Evans, linebacker Jack Cichy, OLB David Kenney and receiver Xavier Ubosi. QB Nick Fitzgerald starts on non-football injury list. They can come off the list at any time once healthy
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Damn. OLB Kenney was one I was excited to hear about early in camp too. Ugh
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Me too Lordcorn. Kenney is one of the best comeback stories if he makes it. I can’t wait to see his get off and speed to power transition. Kenney’s and Ubosi’s injuries are unknown and thought to be the most minor, short term.
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:13 pm
Only the Bucs cling to these injury prone but “talented” players. The talent level between Evans and the next safety group down is minimal. Its time to cut bait on Evans and Spence aka Mr. 5 tackles and 1 sack in 18 games/past 2 seasons. On Evans, toes usually dont get better if they dont get resolved during an off season.
See Deion Sanders for reference.
Whoa Nelly! – KJ
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm
The toe injury suffered last year – and the heel injury which occurred more recently are two different “issues” Joe.
My understanding is that its the heel keeping Evans out right now – not the toe.
Hopefully Justin Evans can make it back onto the field and stay healthy this year. He is the most athletic safety on the roster.
Ky Wildcat Edwards is gonna be a great pick for the Bucs in time….
Not sure if he will be ready to start right from Game 1 though
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:31 pm
I agree with those citing Evans heel as the reason for his absence but his toe injury could be lingering as well. Too bad though, we could have used his veteran leadership on the field.
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:41 pm
Carl Nicks. Turf toe ended his career (MRSA didn’t help).
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Pick you’re right. The Boot was for a heel injury on the complete opposite foot. Much ado about nothing. Well the fact that the kid keeps getting hurt ain’t exactly comforting but at least it’s not a chronic injury that wont go away…
I think we will see Mike Edward’s win a starting safety job though.
But man it makes me mad knowing that our current starting Safeties could be Bradley McDougald and Justin Reid. If we never let Bradley go we could have drafted Alvin Kamara or Kareem Hunt over Justin Evans.
Then we wouldnt have needed to draft a RB in 2018 aka Ronald Jones, and our starting secomdary could be Donte Jackson (who we coulda had anyway) and Josh Jackson who had a solid rookie year in GB, and Justin Reid who was excellent as a rookie.
Everybody likes to go the Derwin James route. But I’m extremely confident that Vita Vea is going to be a force in this lEvan’s. Dude is Haloti Ngata 2.0
Still though, if you wanna make yourself just go back and look at the way the 2016, 17 and 18 drafts went and all the amazing players we could have had but passed on…
July 22nd, 2019 at 5:05 pm
our medical staff is just as bad as the previous coaching staff…..
GO BUCS!!!!
July 22nd, 2019 at 5:21 pm
Will make a splash play here and there but is always out of position.
We took him over Alvin komara
Jason Jason Jason
July 22nd, 2019 at 5:24 pm
Smart enough to draft a safety
July 22nd, 2019 at 5:44 pm
813 just fyi but we did make a change to our medical staff this season and brought aboard a new guy to incorporate more sports science methodologies and practices.
Where as the previous head of our medical staff, I forgot what the exact title is, was staunchly against sports science.
July 22nd, 2019 at 6:03 pm
This team cannot afford to lose him for 6 weeks.
July 22nd, 2019 at 6:05 pm
Kendell Beckwith of the secondary.
July 22nd, 2019 at 7:14 pm
We have 72 DB’s on a 90 man roster … Justin Evans is an injury waiting to happen … move on!! Whitehead and rookies should be fine.
July 22nd, 2019 at 11:14 pm
I believe Edwards will surpass Justin Evans in his first year anyway. Edwards is very bright, very fast, very instinctive, and a great leader who can call the plays for the Defense and is also a playmaker and good tackler. He was the main reason Kentucky fared so well last year! He will be a star. Evans when well will make a good FS backup but needs more development to make him a better tackler and improve his angles. I also am a big fan of hard hitting Whitehead for the Strong Safety position and he does not get targeting penalties but makes wide receivers nervous to the point they will be scared of Whitehead!
July 23rd, 2019 at 6:29 am
Nick Fitzgerald being injured is a surprise. Auto accident? Basketball? Wonder what happened there.
Sucks. I wanted to see what all the talk about him was.
July 23rd, 2019 at 8:03 am
Better sign Tandy and get him in training camp!! Should have never been let go by the Football Einsteins Mike Smith(gone), Dork Koetter (gone) and Jason Licht, (should be gone before he drafts many more that will have the Bucs 5 years away from being contenders! How many more losing seasons must one endure??? Justin Evans over Alvin Kamara…..Really??? I’m telling you Tandy deserves the chance the Bucs took from him and he will prove everyone wrong again!!!!! Damn I’m tired of watching the same thing play out year after year after year!!!!
July 23rd, 2019 at 8:49 am
Tandyman Bucs Fan I agree with you totally. Tandy was a key member of our Special Teams and was a good playmaker because he studied film before every game. He was converted to Safety from being a CB at WVa. and had the flexibility to play both positions if needed and was very smart. He should have been kept but was not a starter and the Bucs were not willing to pay him what he was worth. He could be a good mentor for our younger Safeties right now.
July 23rd, 2019 at 10:10 am
BA Fan you are exactly right!!! When he was forced to start in 2016 he was the most productive safety in the NFL during that stretch and the Bucs were 9 & 7. He was benched for TJ Ward , Chris Conte, Justin Evans. Whitehead etc.. and look how that worked out.. Genius work of Smith and Dork!! Tandy would be great for these young Bucs teaching them how to be Pros and could still be an asset to this team!! He is still in great shape and has been working out everyday!!! He looks like a beast!! Somebody needs to get in Buccos Ear and tell him to pull the trigger and give the secondary some hope!!
July 23rd, 2019 at 11:44 am
This just gives an opportunity to one of the other guys on the roster to prove they belong!! Can you say D’cota Dixon! Let’s find the best player to get the job done!