It was quite the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.  Sunday's 31-23 loss to the Detroit Lions does little to change that.  What was expected to be a rebuilding year by many was anything but that.  

NFC South champs for a third straight year and in the playoffs for an NFC-best fourth straight time, Tampa Bay is showing no signs of returning to the pre-Brady Bucs that many had pegged them to be. 

However, the Buccaneers will have to figure out what they're going to do at a number of positions, and the two most prominent are their quarterback and their franchise wide receiver.  

QB1 wants WR1

Mayfield will be due a major payday after throwing for 4044 yards with 28 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 2023.  He should command over $27 million a season, per A to Z Sports' cap experts Josh Quiepo and Kyle DeDiminicantanio. 

And the Bucs have little choice but to give it to him at this point.  Outside of Kirk Cousins (who could remain in Minnesota), the free agent pickings are slim, and the team won't be in a draft position to get a potential starter in the 2024 draft.  

However, Mayfield made mention after the game of something he wants (besides money, of course), if he is to return to Tampa Bay in 2024: his number one wide receiver. 

"I mean, the guy hasn't regressed, at all," Mayfield told reporters after the game. "As much as everybody wants to talk about his age, I think he had one of his best years. He makes my life easy. He did all year and he did it did it today, over and over again. He's one of those pieces that, yeah, to get everybody back, there has to be sacrifices made. And this team is about winning. We have a group full of guys that are all about that. It's not about individual guys. It's not about that. That's what made it special.

"But yeah, if I'm back, I want Mike [Evans] back. That guy's a stud."

Mayfield and Evans were indeed a formidable quarterback-wide receiver duo in 2023.  Mayfield had a career season while Evans earned second-team All-Pro honors with 79 catches for 1255 yards and a league co-leading 13 touchdown catches (shared with Tyreek Hill). 

Can it happen?

The question, of course, is money and cap space.  Evans and the Bucs weren't able to work out an extension before the season.  That might be a strategic misstep for the Bucs because Evans, like Mayfield, had a very big season for himself.  Undoubtedly there will be plenty of interested suitors willing to spend some money on the 10-year veteran. 

However, the Bucs are in a good cap situation, with $47 million in projected cap space for 2024 per OverTheCap.com. That's currently eighth-best in the NFL and Jason Licht and co. should be able to create plenty more in the coming months, as well.  

Buccaneer fans would be sick to see Evans in another uniform. Licht and the Glazers undoubtedly would too, especially after the season than he just delivered.  As such, it's hard to see the Bucs letting Evans go absent a ludicrous outlier of an offer from another team. 

If they can find a way to keep the face of their franchise in town, then that will apparently be a huge help in keeping the man throwing him the ball in town as well. 

Baker Mayfield should have just locked up an extension with the Bucs despite loss

The Bucs’ signal caller had another strong game to end the season