Cincinnati's recent reported roster move could make Bucs' attempts to re-sign Mike Evans tougher
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could end up having to work even harder to keep their star wide receiver Mike Evans from leaving for another team, and they have the Cincinnati Bengals to thank for that. Per Ian Rapoport, the Bengals advised wide receiver Tee Higgins that they are using the franchise tag on him. In […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could end up having to work even harder to keep their star wide receiver Mike Evans from leaving for another team, and they have the Cincinnati Bengals to thank for that.
Per Ian Rapoport, the Bengals advised wide receiver Tee Higgins that they are using the franchise tag on him.
In a wide receiver market that's solid but not superstar laden, losing one of the top free agent targets makes the remaining pool of candidates even more attractive, and that certainly includes Evans. The remaining free agent pool outside of Evans includes Michael Pittman, Jr., Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown, Darnell Mooney, and Gabriel Davis.
While Pittman, Jr. is an excellent possession receiver, no one else on the list offers the combination of size, physicality, deep play ability, and hands (despite the occasional drops) that Evans brings to the table. And certainly no one does has shown it with the shred of consistency that Evans and his decade of 1000-yard seasons has done.
Higgins was at the top of the list of best well-rounded receivers with Evans. Now, that list is down to just the latter.
Accordingly, it will be interesting to see if the market for Evans takes an uptick, as teams like the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and the Baltimore Ravens could all use a player like Evans to get over the top.
We'll see soon enough how far Jason Licht is willing to go to keep the face of the franchise in town for the foreseeable near future.
Antoine Winfield Jr.’s 2024 free agency contract projection
The Bucs DB is about to get paid.
