Justin Evans On Track For Summer Return
April 24th, 2020
Injury update.
General manager Jason Licht said tonight that he’s hopeful second-round pick safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., has another former second-round pick to compete with in training camp.
In fact, Licht said Tampa Bay has its collective fingers crossed for a heated competition.
Justin Evans, the Bucs’ Round 2 pick in 2017, missed all last season with various foot issues and he had similar problems in 2018. A big-time talent, Evans, per Bruce Arians back in late February, is on track to return in June. Licht acknowledged today that Evans is still on his summer timetable for recovery.
Of course, the Bucs can’t afford to bank on Evans, and they obviously don’t after the drafting of Winfield. But it’s good to know Evans at least remains in the long shot category.
It’s been a lot of healing time for Evans. If he’s still in the conversation, then maybe there’s legitimate hope.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:08 pm
Great news on an otherwise depressing day.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:09 pm
Wonder if Evans can wear a mask on his toes……..
Would be great to have him back….
April 24th, 2020 at 11:13 pm
Awesome news and great draft so far!!
(Regardless of how the football couch Kings think they could have done better. LoL )
Licht built this team and has this team poised to make a SB push. (But he sucks because gambled on a kicker once…. 👌🏼)
April 24th, 2020 at 11:14 pm
So he will be on IR by July…..dude can’t stay healthy
April 24th, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Good, you need as many defensive backs as possible in today’s NFL. Hopefully he’s back, hopefully the rookie is a day 1 starter like he’s profiled as, hopefully we have too many guys. How awesome would it be to have some depth compared to the dark days of Chris Conte and Ryan Smith starting.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:19 pm
joe i don’t know…
this is good news…
but seems like fake news
April 24th, 2020 at 11:22 pm
they know evans is done…that’s why they went safety in the 2nd…
fake newzzzzz
April 24th, 2020 at 11:24 pm
Would have preferred Delpit over Winfield Jr. in Rd 2, but Cleveland traded up and grabbed him one pick ahead of us. Oh well. If indeed Evans is good to go this year and can remain healthy, our safety issue may be greatly improved. As far as RB goes, not so sure Vaughn is and upgrade over Barber. I have to keep telling myself to calm down. We now have Brady, Gronk, and one of the top 4 O-linemen in the draft to go with the existing crew. Looks like a powerhouse, on paper anyway.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:25 pm
Rod Munch Says:
April 24th, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Good, you need as many defensive backs as possible in today’s NFL.
Agree Rod.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:26 pm
Evans was a solid player when healthy. I like the combination of Evans and winfield if evans can stay on the field. So far happy with the picks, just wish we could have gotten a 3rd for oj. Oh well, use him for 1 more year and then when he walks in fa hopefully they get a comp pick.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:28 pm
Sweet. Been wondering about this for a long time. Evans comes back healthy for competition and make’s that safety spot from giant hole to rock solid at the safety position depth chart. Nicely done Jason.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:34 pm
He gonna try but that wheel is busted for good. Damn shame.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:44 pm
If there’s one thing Jason #lichtmyba*lls knows it’s DB’s:
2016:
VHMe | CB #11 Overall
Ryan Smith | DB? #108 Overall
2017:
Justin Evans | S/IR #50 Overall
2018:
MJ Stewart | CB? #53 Overall
Carlton Davis | CB #63 Overall
Jordan Whitehead | S #117 Overall
2019:
SM Bunting | CB #39 Overall
J. Dean | CB #94 Overall
M. Edwards | S #99 Overall
2020:
A. Winfield Jr. | #45 Overall
—————————————
10 DBs picked in the “premium rounds” over the last five years.
I like most of these dudes (with the exception of VHMe) and wish the best for all of them. I think Winfield could be a stud.
BUT JASON LICHT… Wow, just wow.
April 24th, 2020 at 11:47 pm
Winfield is better than Delpit and is more of a ballhawk
April 24th, 2020 at 11:51 pm
i saw some idiot on twitter say evans is on the trading block now. lol… he has zero value, he either gets healthy w the bucs or gets cut. I hope this kid who has shown flashes get healthy and can play!
April 24th, 2020 at 11:54 pm
bad night for the bucs, but we did a lot prior to the draft, so its all good.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:12 am
DAVID-
Not only did licht gamble on a kicker let me help you out
Jamies-Bust
Hargreaves-Bust
OJ Howard-Pending Bust
MJ Stewart-Trash
Carlton Davis-Pending Trash
ROJO-Pending Trash
Donovan Smith-Trash
Justin Evans-Trash
Noah Spence-Trash
Kenny Bell-Trash
The whole 2016 class Trash
As a matter of fact the ONLY reasons licht has a job is because he know Bruce Arians and was able to get him here, otherwise he wouldve been fired with koetter if the glazers couldve got Gruden.
Licht knows BA- BA has a good reputation- That attracted Tom Brady and Gronk… Nothing else. Jasons relationships with NFL Coaches and Execs is the reason he has a job. Not the job he has done as a NFL GM.
Thats like my Girlfriend only being with me because Im friends with David Beckham. Once Beckham tells me that we are no longer friends, Guess what will happen. She will leave me too
April 25th, 2020 at 12:16 am
The 2016 and 2017 DB class is already done. and this year is the last year for the 2018 DB class to prove them self. If the 2018 class fails then guess what the 2019 DB class is on the clock.
Jason Licht needs to understand this aint College football, this aint LSU or UF. You cant just keep bringing in DB’s that aint doing ish
April 25th, 2020 at 12:16 am
With the danger of a shortened training camp it might not be enough to convince Arian’s he deserves a spot on the roster. We could always stash him on the practice squad but that wouldn’t protect us from other teams pilfering our PS.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:16 am
Lol
April 25th, 2020 at 12:16 am
DAVID-
Not only did licht gamble on a kicker let me help you out
Jamies-Bust
Hargreaves-Bust
OJ Howard-Pending Bust
MJ Stewart-Trash
Carlton Davis-Pending Trash
ROJO-Pending Trash
Donovan Smith-Trash
Justin Evans-Trash
Noah Spence-Trash
Kenny Bell-Trash
The whole 2016 class Trash
As a matter of fact the ONLY reasons licht has a job is because he know Bruce Arians and was able to get him here, otherwise he wouldve been fired with koetter if the glazers couldve got Gruden.
Licht knows BA- BA has a good reputation- That attracted Tom Brady and Gronk… Nothing else. Jasons relationships with NFL Coaches and Execs is the reason he has a job. Not the job he has done as a NFL GM.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:17 am
I’d give Licht a grade of D for second day of draft, passed on too many quality rbs in both rounds.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:21 am
Good development, I hope Justin Evans can get back to it. Another safety coming back is a good thing!
April 25th, 2020 at 12:37 am
@941… you are pretty much right.. But, jason brought in BA and thats a game changer bc BA couldnt fix #3, so no one can and BA got TB and tb got Gronk… so as bad as Jason is…. he got the job done.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:37 am
Get better Evans…..hope you come back 100%
We addressed needs so far in 3 rounds….OT, S, RB…so Im happy, especially with Wirfs. Mr. Licht is getting better at what he’s doing. Give him a chance guys, Dmn! We hit the FA signings out of the park, so if he missed on the RB, then he gets a mulligan.
Winfield back there with Whitehead should be fun. He’s rangy. Not a hard hitting SS, but thats ok….Whitehead can do that.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:43 am
Doesn’t matter Justin Evans will be on IR for having a hang nail or something next week and be out for the rest of the year. I don’t even know why we still have this guy on our team.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:45 am
941bucsfan
Carlton Davis is pending trash?
That analysis is pure trash.
April 25th, 2020 at 12:50 am
I hope so. Evans showed signs of being a difference maker.
But we heard last year. Along with the return of Kendall Beckwith- also another tragic loss of a talented player.
Weird about our 2nd round safety. Usually we screw up the 2nd round pick.
This year, I think it was our 3rd round pick
April 25th, 2020 at 12:58 am
Yea Brandon Carlton Davis is pending trash. Do you wanna tell me he played that much better than Jamel Dean and SMB?
SMB wont be your slot corner he is a natural outside corner. So if he is good he will move back outside. Dean is an outside corner, and where does that leave davis?? Mike Edwards going to the nickel/hybrid/money safety or whatever name they are using now a days.
Carlton Davis with only a 300K dead cap hit, and 1M in salary cap savings could literally be in his last year.
He is gonna hold and pass inteference his way right out of the league
April 25th, 2020 at 1:02 am
I just wish JL would draft a few more DBs.
April 25th, 2020 at 1:04 am
Really need be able to reply to other people’s comments directly.
April 25th, 2020 at 1:16 am
941 what are you talking about w/ the 2018 and 19 classes lol?
All our DBs drafted last year actually looked good once they got some playing time. And Carlton Davis certainly isn’t trash lol.
That said, I hate our 3rd round pick this year. Hope I’m wrong but There were way better running backs and safeties available when we picked in the 2nd and the 3rd.
April 25th, 2020 at 2:48 am
Dude is awful
April 25th, 2020 at 4:27 am
unbelivable-
Just because a DB does better than hargreaves and mj stewart, doesnt mean they “actually looked good”. Against average WR they were great. But DK metcalf and lockett ate em up for lunch. But I know I know “they’re young” lol… Guess what, they still young, and our superbowl window expires the first week of next FEB. depending on how brady does.
April 25th, 2020 at 6:17 am
Should have picked Cam Akers with the 45th pick and another safety with the 76th pick. Or have used Howard and their 76th pick to trade up into the second round unless the whole NFL realizes that OJ is trash.
April 25th, 2020 at 6:21 am
Maybe the Bucs can trade Donovan Smith and OJ Howard to the Redskins for Trent Williams and give him 18 mil a year. Thats Smith and Howards salary 14.5 plus 3.5 equals 18. Three year deal 54 mil 36 guaranteed.
April 25th, 2020 at 7:53 am
IF Evans foot is healthy, the addition of Winfield means the Bucs may have one of the better defensive backfields in the NFL, both deep and young.
This is a time for optimism.
April 25th, 2020 at 8:52 am
Even with a healthy Evans and he returns to form, Bucs still needed an upgrade at safety, I like the combo of Evans and Winfield, along with Whitehead, Edwards and Adams, great (not yet), but the QB won’t have time to go deep across the middle anyway.
April 25th, 2020 at 9:25 am
So much negativity here. Jason Licht is doing a very good job overall. In every draft, a team is lucky to get 2-3 players that stick. You can’t measure desire in a player. He had an excellent draft last year and found some great free agents. Very few teams can say that. Buckle up. This season is going to be fun.
April 25th, 2020 at 9:28 am
Your 2nd round pick should be an immediate impact player and so good no one on the team is capable of really challenging him.
April 25th, 2020 at 9:52 am
Crap draft after 1st rd. Of course I was expecting some crap pick in 2nd. Thats what loser Licht is known for. But I was hoping for better in the 3rd.
April 25th, 2020 at 9:59 am
Hilarious stuff here!
I agree with Rod. We can never have enough DBs. Let ONE, just ONE starter go down. If you don’t have a competent back-up, YOU ARE TOAST!
I wish Evans the best. He’s STILL a Buc you know.
You armchair GMs are making my morning, let me tell you.
April 25th, 2020 at 10:04 am
@941
Now give us the list of good moves by Licht. There are plenty of those too.
April 25th, 2020 at 10:57 am
941, if you objectively went back the same amount of years and did the same thing for every other GM in the league you would have a comprable list. You do know that don’t you? Every single GM has multiple failures in the draft every year.
April 26th, 2020 at 12:25 am
Joe, any recent news on Beckwith? It would be a huge shot in the arm for this defense to get both Evans and Beckwith back.
April 26th, 2020 at 12:27 am
Zero.