What Was Mike Evans’ Market?
March 6th, 2024
Interesting Mike Evans take.
Not sure about you but “this Joe” was quite surprised Monday morning when it was learned Bucs legend Mike Evans decided to sign a two-year pact with the Bucs before the free agency dinner bell rings in a week.
Evans had more time to use his leverage.
One guy who isn’t surprised is Nick Wright. The co-host of “First Thing’s First,” seen weekday mornings on FS1, made it perfectly clear he thinks Evans is a stud of a receiver (even though he said he didn’t want his Chiefs to sign him). But Wright seems to think the numbers Evans’ agent was hearing from other teams — eeeeerrrrrrr — rumors traveling through NFL circles at the combine last week — revealed that Evans would not be chased with a Brinks truck. Therefore, Wright is confident that’s why Evans surprised folks and re-signed with the Bucs Monday morning as opposed to testing the free agent waters, which his camp previously said he wanted to do.
“I don’t think this deal was going to be out there from a lot of teams for Mike Evans,” Wright said. “Certainly not from a lot of good teams.”
So why wouldn’t good teams want a guy at the top of his game, a guy with a ring who will someday be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Wright had an interesting take.
Wright rattled off a lengthy list of quality receivers still playing and noted how deep this spring’s draft is with receivers. Wright believes the NFL is about to experience a glut of quality at the position.
As folks learn in Business 101, when there is a large supply for a specific demand, prices plummet and it becomes a buyer’s market.
Joe still finds it difficult to believe that a team on the cusp of a Super Bowl wouldn’t want to pay Evans the same cash as Davante Adams rakes in.
March 6th, 2024 at 3:55 am
I’ve always felt that Evans has always been the Rodney dangerfield of the nfl wideouts. Oldell Beckham this, Devante Adams that, Keenan Allen bla bla bla. He never got any respect from other cities. But I’ll say this; Tampa knows what they got. A freekin stud.
March 6th, 2024 at 4:20 am
He’s not wrong about the draft. QBs and WRs. A lot of amazing talent. I saw a few mocks giving the Bucs Troy Franklin in the 2nd! Whoa! Our WR room would be nuts.
March 6th, 2024 at 4:41 am
All the drafts lately do see to have 10+ really good WRs. I don’t remember that being the case in the past. They also seem to have less and less quality DT and OL stacked classes.
March 6th, 2024 at 5:16 am
Often think when it comes to Mikes career, the number of QBs and Offensive Coordinators he’s played with and under is ignored – yet, year in and year out he puts up the numbers and is the ultimate team guy.
Bravo to the Bucs and Mike.
March 6th, 2024 at 5:29 am
Good ole Nick. Skips whipping boy and a J Rome wannabe, has zero clue. Houston had a better offer and they are a “good team”.
March 6th, 2024 at 5:39 am
It’s two year pact, not “pack”, Joe.
March 6th, 2024 at 5:57 am
Unsure about Nick’s take. It could be that the teams he didn’t want to really move to were offering him the money, and could be what his agent really meant in his own comment.
Mike is our guy and I am beyond ecstatic about it. He is the guy that has made every single QB look good from A&M through NFL. Not only his skills, but his community work, his charity. We are so lucky to have him. My family stationed in TX and others they know wanted Evans for Houston or Dallas. They are disappointed. We aren’t.
March 6th, 2024 at 6:01 am
It’s because he is a Buc and they don’t get no respect!
March 6th, 2024 at 6:05 am
Agreed, Fansince76. They were all saying nothing about us this past season. They thought our Bucs were done after Brady. The Bucs proved them all wrong. They have earned so much respect and deserve more. Remember how the media went after the Bills with their 4-peat years ago? They should have commended them for getting into the SB four years. No respect.
March 6th, 2024 at 6:08 am
No surprise he signed right after the receivers at the combine put on a show. Some mocks had the Bucs taking a receiver at 26.
March 6th, 2024 at 6:26 am
I believe the draft is loaded with receivers and hurt both Evans and Pittmans market value.
March 6th, 2024 at 7:08 am
The draft has POTENTIAL quality WR’s , but there is a huge difference in a 1st ballot HOF’er and a draft pick. ME13 wanted to stay in Tampa-period.
March 6th, 2024 at 7:29 am
His market was exactly what he got…..$52mil 2years……
same as the market for gas……hamburgers, season tickets…..whatever the market bears.
March 6th, 2024 at 7:34 am
plain and simple…
mike has sh!t to do…and the sh!t needs to be done in tampa…
he’s got ring of honors, gold jackets, 1k yard seasons, more superbowls, charity work, and other good stuff on his agenda…
no point in going elsewhere to possibly flub it up…
i hope he plays and holds up for another 5 seasons – and challenges fitzgerald for the #2 all time yards receiving spot…
he won’t unseat jerry rice, but with a brady like attitude towards a fitness and lifestyle routine, mike can really start to climb the all-time charts with some longevity moving forward…
he’s getting to the numbers now where the stats begin to get ridiculous, and at that point, media, fanbases, nfl league promo type stuff, etc., has to just give him his accolades…
it’s no better time than now to be a buccaneer for one mike evans…
if he stays healthy, fit, and focused on longevity, he should wind up a top 10 receiver of all time…maybe top 5
i think he’s a 15,000 plus receiver before all is said and done…
and being in the room with brady for a few years only helped him…
a healthy regimen and 5 more years of football could mean challenging larry fitzgerald for the #2 yardage spot…
i’m getting way ahead – but it’s good to see big mike will seemingly be a buc for life…
i think he’s gotten a healthy dose or brady and lebron, and with that being said, mike just might be thinking “long game” here…
and if mike becomes a long distance runner, watch out – his final stats will be sick!
March 6th, 2024 at 7:36 am
Mike Evans went from getting paid $14 million dollars a year to getting paid $26 million dollars per year, that’s a huge increase and top 5 wide receiver cash. That’s literally the type of money Mike Evans wanted so he didn’t need to test the free agency. Nick Wright is full of horse crap
March 6th, 2024 at 7:41 am
It’s amazing to me how many people think that this year’s crop of receivers is somehow going to be Mike Evans productive.
Does anyone in the world seriously consider that Keon Coleman who was mocked to the Bucs at 26 at some points was going to replace ME.
Sure, you can dream that.
But that is like the poster yesterday who picked out some Mahomes stats from last year and then said Baker was just as good.
Sure, you can dream that too.
March 6th, 2024 at 7:44 am
nick wright is just trying to get mike to venmo him a 1,000 bucks
🙂
March 6th, 2024 at 9:32 am
Nick Wright…. LOL – What a poser
I’m pleased that the Evans deal turned out the way it did.
2 Years – $41M – $29M Guaranteed – With $11M worth of incentives
Limits the Bucs nightmare if anything bad happens and keeps Mike hungry for the highest levels of achievement with many Millions at stake (AS IF he needed a carrot…LOL)
Thats a hell of a payday for a 31 year old WR. Mike earned that sh!t!
The Bucs essentially said last year – ‘Prove it to us that age and lack of TB12 is not an issue and that you deserve another big contract” – Big Mike smiled and said – “Here – Hold my Beer for a minute….”
March 6th, 2024 at 10:06 am
Evans contract was closer to 20m a year. The 2 year 52 was over stated. That’s would be his max if he hit all his escalators.
It’s actually, we’re told, a two-year, $41 million deal. The other $11 million comes in the form of incentives and escalators.
The deal pays out $23 million fully guaranteed in 2024. He’s due to make $18 million in 2025. Of that amount, $6 million is fully guaranteed and $6 million is guaranteed for injury.
So it’s a $20.5 million deal, not a $26 million contract. And it has $29 million fully guaranteed at signing.
March 6th, 2024 at 10:52 am
State of AZ dips into Adam’s pocket a bit more that FL will Mike’s.
March 6th, 2024 at 11:00 am
When Mike plays the Az Cardinals it’s the same tax. Players’ workplace is considered the stadium in wherever State they play. So Mike is getting Taxed in FL only for the 8 games. Unless they play the Jags or The Dolphins. So it is an advantage but not as much as most people think.
March 6th, 2024 at 11:22 am
“Joe still finds it difficult to believe that a team on the cusp of a Super Bowl wouldn’t want to pay Evans” …or just won a Super Bowl
March 6th, 2024 at 1:46 pm
@Stanglassman – I think that’s because of the way college football has been going. Spread offenses with lots of high scoring, etc.
Only a handful of teams still play good defense. Same reason why o-line talent is harder and harder to come by. It’s all about the skill positions.