The Buccaneers offense will look a whole lot different moving forward, but the front office is looking to maintain some continuity at receiver. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers and wide receiver Mike Evans have already started discussions on an extension.
With Tom Brady out of the picture and the Buccaneers facing an uncertain future at quarterback, it’s not a surprise that the organization wants to transition to the next offensive era with their all-time receiving leader. Evans has hauled in at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his nine NFL seasons, and through the first four years of his current contract, he’s averaged 72 catches for 1,080 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns per season.
The Buccaneers signed Chris Godwin to a three-year, $60M extension ($40M guaranteed) last offseason. Considering the money that’s being thrown around at the position, Evans would surely top a $20M average annual value. As CBS Sports’ Joel Corry points out, that type of contract would mean the Buccaneers would join the Chargers as the only teams to be paying two wide receivers more than $20M per year.
Stroud points to the five-year, $140M deal that Davante Adams signed with the Raiders as a potential landing spot for Evans’ next contract. It sounds like Evans is motivated to stick around Tampa, and that could lead to a slight hometown discount when all is said and done.
“Mike loves Tampa,” Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, told Stroud. “I know the feeling is mutual. His production is the best of all the guys out there. … The Bucs’ ownership has to love that Mike isn’t even an off-the-field conversation but an on-the-field terror. I’ve got to think they would like to lock him up to a third deal.”
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