Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today For all of the Bucs’ struggles on offense putting points up this season, Mike Evans has found another gear and has been successful with Dave Canales calling the plays and Baker Mayfield throwing him the football. As has been the case throughout his entire career, Evans can have success within any scheme and playing alongside any quarterback from Mike Glennon to Tom Brady. So far through 11 games with Mayfield in 2023, Evans has 54 receptions for 850 yards and nine touchdowns, with two touchdown grabs in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Colts. It is very telling that of Baker Mayfield’s 17 touchdown passes this season, over half of them have been thrown Mike Evans’ way. A model of consistency throughout his career, the veteran wideout has been doing all of this in his age-30 season and has shown no signs of slowing down. After discussions about a contract extension failed to come to fruition before the season, Evans has more than justified getting another big contract. If he were to depart in free agency, the Bucs would sorely miss his production and it would be a huge void that would need filling in the offseason. Part of the dilemma of keeping him around is that it is hard for a team to fit two big-money contracts to wide receivers, and Tampa Bay is already paying Chris Godwin $20 million a season. But Godwin’s deal runs out after next season, and based on his play over the last two seasons, it does not justify that price tag. If it comes down to general manager Jason Licht and the rest of the front office determining who to extend and keep long-term, the edge goes to Mike Evans. Not only has he become a Bucs legend, but if he were to have a slogan, it would be: “Making quarterbacks’ lives easier since 2014.” A Rookie QB Would Be Aided Greatly By Mike Evans’ Presence Should the team look to select a signal-caller high in next year’s draft, Mike Evans would also help ease the transition for whoever is taken. Any quarterback throwing to Mike Evans usually has some success. As alluded to above, Baker Mayfield has played his best when throwing to who he often calls his “stud” wide receiver. Mayfield has sung praises about Evans all season and gave him a ringing endorsement earlier this month. #Bucs QB Baker Mayfield says that WR Mike Evans is the best he has ever been around and has done it consistently for so long. Mayfield added that Evans means everything to this team. He is about his business and is a franchise staple that he will not take for granted. — PewterReport 
(@PewterReport) November 5, 2023 Mayfield’s assessment of Evans here is spot-on. 
Bucs WR Mike Evans, OC Dave Canales and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR Evans truly has meant everything to this team and is one of the few players the team has been able to rely on through its highs and lows. Even with the team’s recent struggles, he still shows up on every game day as the same player giving high effort. Whether it is Mayfield or one of the many highly-touted rookie quarterbacks (LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr, etc.) throwing to Evans in Week 1 of 2024, whoever it is will be aided by what he brings to the table. He is an offensive tone-setter, a leader, and someone who elevates the guys around him. Whether it takes $20 million per year to re-sign him, or perhaps more, the Bucs simply cannot afford to let him go. Simply put, Tampa Bay will not be a better team without Evans in 2024. Mike Evans Still Has Plenty Of Good Football Ahead Of Him 
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR While Mike Evans is now in his thirties, his playing style is likely not to decline for another few years. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Evans relies more on his size and route-running than pure speed to find creases in the defense. As well as this, he has been remarkably durable throughout his career besides the occasional hamstring flareup. If this continues to be the case, he should have no trouble putting together a couple more 1,000-yard seasons before a graceful decline as he enters his mid-thirties. Hypothetically speaking, if the Bucs extended Evans for another three years after this season, he should remain highly productive throughout the duration of that deal. Even when he inevitably ends his 1,000-yard streak, there is no reason to think that he won’t come close to that mark as he gets older. While wide receiver and cornerbacks are positions where there is usually a stark dropoff in production with age, there are some exceptions. Ronde Barber, who played 16 seasons in Tampa Bay was one, and Mike Evans could very well be another. The post Bucs Cannot Afford To Let WR Mike Evans Leave appeared first on Pewter Report. Source: https://www.pewterreport.com/bucs-canno ... ans-leave/
