The Best
January 10th, 2024
Studs.
Friends, we better savor what Bucs fans have for maybe just one more game.
Joe is hopeful there are a couple of dozen (or more) games we can enjoy this.
The Bucs media relations staff put out an interesting stat earlier this week. It turns out the Bucs have had something the past three seasons no other team in the NFL has had, which surprised the hell out of Joe.
Of course, Mike Evans weeks ago cleared the 1,000 receiving yards hurdle for his 10th straight season. No one has started an NFL career doing that. No one in over 100 years.
On Sunday in Carolina, Chris Godwin also hit the 1,000-yard receiving yards plateau. That is the third straight year he has done that and fourth of his career. Well, no other NFL team the past three years has had a pair of receivers each have over 1,000 yards receiving. No one else.
Not the Vikings. Not the Rams. Not the Dolphins. Not the Bengals (though Joe would have guessed the Bengals would have).
Nope, just the Bucs. Just Evans and Godwin.
Monday night could be the last time these two play together. Evans is in a contract year. Godwin is signed through the 2024 season.
“This Joe” has a hunch at least one won’t be around in 2025. After all, Father Time is undefeated.
Enjoy it while it lasts. Bucs fans have been very fortunate to have Evans and Godwin for so many years balling out and making history. And a championship.
The NFL’s only set of teammates with 1,000+ yards receiving each in each of the last 3 seasons (2021-23).
Mike Evans & Chris Godwin #GoBucs | @MikeEvans13_ @CGtwelve_ pic.twitter.com/jiCZRQAhMG
— Andrew Holman (@andrew_holman2) January 8, 2024
January 10th, 2024 at 9:06 am
I hope both come back. Might be decided by who are coaches and QB are next year.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:06 am
The real heart and soul of this team.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:15 am
Man, that is sobering.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:18 am
for 20% of your salary cap this is what you would expect.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:20 am
Yet they’re still determined to run the ball up the gut. They should celebrate what they have and air it out!
January 10th, 2024 at 9:21 am
If these players love Bowles so much they should come back for the hometown discount. THEY DON’T AND THEY WON’T!!! Love to see a Qb like Hebert, Goff, Allen, Rogers or Mahomes throwing to these guys.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:30 am
Evans will be resigned. You can replace Godwin for half his salary in free agency. He struggles to get open. You can’t afford both pay the one who produces and whose wife doesn’t get jealous when the other hits a major milestone in their career.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:44 am
I suspect we will find a way to keep them both.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:44 am
Bojim
Thats been decided
January 10th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Well, what do you know? Baker made this happen.
Trasky Nancys triggered bigly.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Evans should be franchise tagged, get him to sign to do 13 seasons
January 10th, 2024 at 9:48 am
Keep them both. Criticism of Godwin is ridiculous.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:48 am
They are the strength of the offense yet the OC continues to act like we are a run first team when we are one of the worst run efficeny teams in the league. Even the O-Lines strength is in pass protection. Hopefully he figures that out in the playoffs and stops calling plays to live for 3rd and manageable. He’s starting to running out of the excuse that this is his first year as a player caller. It’s now playoffs and the 18th game. Canales scheme alone is an upgrade over Leftwich, and is worth being optimistic about because of that, but he has to become a better play caller. Especially on those drives to close out games/half’s. Calls plays without any sense of urgency needed in those situations. It’s mind-numbing to watch
January 10th, 2024 at 9:51 am
I would of guessed Fitz and Boldin or Holt and Bruce would of been there. guess not.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:57 am
I hope they both ball out on Monday!! LFG!!
January 10th, 2024 at 10:01 am
I think part of their success is the very fact they work together, when they are both on the field who are you going to cover? And when you add Rachaad White coming out of the backfield , ( also a thousand yarder), you have a deep , medium , and short threat , and then you throw in Otton and you are , (wait for it) a pass oriented team , so why try to pretend we’re not , ( having a serviceable running back / blocking back for short yardage or to keep the defense honest,is still desirable but not as a major part of the game, the problem is how are you going to keep them all and develop our next generation of players at the same time ?
January 10th, 2024 at 10:05 am
It’s amazing they accomplished this while seemingly being ignored at times.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:15 am
“Bojim Says:
January 10th, 2024 at 9:06 am
I hope both come back. Might be decided by who are coaches and QB are next year.”
Couldn’t agree more. Especially Evans. If Bowles and Mayfield return (and that looks likely) I give Evans a 95% chance of staying.
If Bowles is let go prior to an Evans deal with no solid replacement lined up, I think the possibility of him staying drops to about 25%.
If Mayfield and Bowles go elsewhere, maybe 10% chance he stays. Why waste what could be his final 3 or 4 seasons on a rebuild with so many unknowns? His 1,000 yard streak could be at risk as well (it’s not entirely selfish to want to really put a stamp on your career since it’s your one and only career and the HOF awaits).
Godwin is a tougher call. I doubt he’ll get re-signed at 20mil/year again after next season unless Evans leaves. If ME13 stays, I expect the Bucs to try to extend Godwin before he hits FA unless he gets injured again.
The franchise tag will loom large this offseason for both Evans and Mayfield and probably for Godwin the following year.
There are many moving parts that could change things a lot. Chris and Mike are far too valuable to let walk but the decisions to stay will be theirs depending on many factors.
It’s going to be an interesting off-season and hopefully not a painful one
January 10th, 2024 at 10:20 am
We would be the dumbest franchise in the history of sports if we don’t pay Mike Evans
January 10th, 2024 at 10:44 am
And, they’ve done it the past 2 seasons with anemic offenses. Very impressive. Mike’s contribution is more difficult to replace. Please pay him. If Godwin has to go, so be it. As a fan, it’s been fun watching the two of them work.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:45 am
I love Godwin and like Mike, but there were almost 30 receivers that had 1k yards this season.
IT’S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL ANYMORE.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:58 am
1000 yards receiving isnt a big deal until you dont have one. We take Evans and Godwin for granted. They produce regardless of the quarterback. No need to nitpick at greatness.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:00 am
they probably both could be 1,500 yard receivers…
because each one always has like 5 games a season where they are almost invisible and put up no stats…
if they were in an offense of supreme consistency, they’d both play with the 1,500 number…
but this would fall on coach, OC and qb for it to happen or not
January 10th, 2024 at 11:30 am
1.5k should be the modern standard for greatness at the position.
59 ypg isn’t exactly great is it?
January 10th, 2024 at 11:38 am
NE Fan Says:
January 10th, 2024 at 9:21 am
If these players love Bowles so much they should come back for the hometown discount. THEY DON’T AND THEY WON’T!!! Love to see a Qb like Hebert, Goff, Allen, Rogers or Mahomes throwing to these guys
—–
You ‘d be happy to see a Pats Qb pass the offering plate across a pew.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:03 pm
Man we sure love our stats. The only season that matters is the one where we win the Super Bowl. The next year we lost on a last second play because of bad coaching. The next year we were blown out by the cowboys. 1000 yards says they are good players but still days we don’t have a good team
January 10th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
Hey Evans and Godwin have been the Buc’s greatest set of receivers in the history of the franchise. I love them both and hope the return for a few more seasons.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Love to see some no riskit no bisket Monday.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
John Madden once said “I look at the Bucs and see 9 points”, we are that offense again.
January 10th, 2024 at 3:36 pm
Dan the Bucs fan Says:
January 10th, 2024 at 9:30 am
Evans will be resigned. You can replace Godwin for half his salary in free agency. He struggles to get open. You can’t afford both pay the one who produces and whose wife doesn’t get jealous when the other hits a major milestone in their career.
I prefer keeping Evans over Godwin. However, next year Godwin salary is $27 million. His dead cap is 26 million. So, basically you have to keep Godwin next year. The only ability to lower Godwins salary next year is to restructure him to a lower salary and give him more money in the future. No one will trade for him at that salary cap issue.
January 10th, 2024 at 4:39 pm
Can you imagine Mayfield here with just one of these guys. Instead of under 50yds in the 1st half it would be under 30. Nightmare scenario.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:50 pm
Those jerseys seriously need to be showcased more then once a year. They look better than the burnt orange I grew up with.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:11 pm
I was been a bucs fan since I was old enough to watch the game. The only jerseys I’ve bought are Godwin and Evans. What privilege to have these two.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:10 pm
I was thinking the same thing a few weeks ago Joe.
I think we as fans, may have gotten a bit spoiled by our dynamic duo.
While pondering life without one or both of these dudes I remembered what life was like before them.
Of course crap coaches, GMs, and QBs play a major role. Each draft it seemed like we were trying to find a playmaker at WR and/or bringing in free agents to hopefully fill that roll. We found a few #1s but never did find a consistent duo.
Vincent Jackson and…Mike Williams came close but…one season in 2012.
I may be wrong but I don’t think any other duo has come close for even a single season. Wow!
We are gonna have to adjust our expectations big time soon I think.
Go Bucs!
January 11th, 2024 at 6:04 am
What a crazy ride we Bucs fans have been on. To be blessed by the Goat joining our team for three years and helping us win a Super Bowl to having a pair of wide receivers who are both straight up dawgs. Both are team first guys who love the game of football. We have truly been blessed.
January 11th, 2024 at 7:17 am
We have been blessed! I can only hope it continues. I started as a fan in ’79, when they really needed as many as could be found. Season tickets for the first SB run, and I don’t want to lose the feeling!