Mike Evans - Pro Football Rumors

Buccaneers, Mike Evans Rework Contract

June 18th, 2019 at 8:06am CST by Zach Links

The Buccaneers have done a simple restructure on wide receiver Mike Evans’ contract, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The adjustment will create an additional $3.2MM in cap space, though Evans will still earn $20MM in cash this year.

Heading into Tuesday, the Bucs had roughly $4.7MM in cap room. By adjusting Evans’ deal, the Bucs will have about $8MM to use on late-stage free agents and address some of their own players.

Evans, 26 in August, inked a five-year, $82.5MM extension with the Bucs last offseason. With incentives, Evans has the ability to earn nearly $96MM over the course of the pact. This marks the second time that Evans has adjusted his contract this offseason, though the previous revision did not address the Bucs’ cap situation.

Even with a fat new contract in hand, Evans did not rest on his laurels in 2018. The wide receiver earned his second career Pro Bowl nod as he hauled in 86 catches with a career-high 1,524 yards. He also set a new career best in yards-per-catch with 17.7 per reception and scored eight touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Buccaneers, Mike Evans Revise Deal

March 29th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Zach Links

The Bucs converted $3MM of Mike Evans‘ $20MM base salary in to a roster bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move will not create additional cap space for the Buccaneers in 2019, Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter) notes, which is unfortunate given the team’s present situation.

The Buccaneers have a league-low $2.74MM in cap space, so they could use some relief. There’s still more work to be done as the Buccaneers will want to explore the second and third waves of free agency while leaving adequate room to sign their incoming rookie class.

Evans, 26 in August, inked a five-year, $82.5MM extension with the Bucs last offseason. With incentives, Evans has the ability to earn nearly $96MM over the course of the pact.

Even with a fat new contract in hand, Evans did not rest on his laurels in 2018. The wide receiver earned his second career Pro Bowl nod as he hauled in 86 catches with a career-high 1,524 yards. He also set a new career best in yards-per-catch with 17.7 per reception and scored eight touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Receiver Notes: Landry, Dez, A-Rob, Evans

March 10th, 2018 at 10:06pm CST by Micah Powell

No players have dominated the news more in the last two days than Jarvis Landry and Richard Sherman. On Friday, the Browns kicked off their trading spree by landing the Dolphins wideout in a deal for draft picks. Earlier in the day, Sherman was released from the Seahawks and then signed with the division-rival 49ers Saturday Night.

The two possibly could have been connected on the transaction wire earlier in the 2017 season if a blockbuster deal would have gone through. That’s according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who tweets that Seattle rejected a potential Landry-for-Sherman swap in 2017.

At the time of the proposed deal, presumably before the trade deadline, Sherman was healthy and the Seahawks were looking to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive. Trading away a key member of the secondary and an influential figure in the locker room doesn’t appear to make much sense.

Regardless, it is interesting both teams were looking to move on from their respective stars as early as October.

Here’s more receivers making news:

Before both of those deals went down, Mike Evans grabbed headlines by signing a five-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $82.5 MM. Breaking down the details, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets the Bucs will $5 MM of salary cap space in 2018 and he now takes up $18.25 MM of cap room.
During a chat with the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Matt Mosley said his gut feeling is that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will be back in 2018. He said that could change if the team lands a receiver in the first round. Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, among others, could be on the board when the Cowboys pick at No. 19.
Though they didn’t place the franchise tag on him, the Jaguars do in fact like Allen Robinson and would like to have him back at the right price, general manager Dave Caldwell told Pro Football Talk. “At some point in time, just like other free agents, we’ve walked away. We don’t want to do that with Allen because he’s ours. We’ll see. We have a lot of options on the table with that.”

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Buccaneers To Sign Mike Evans To Extension

March 9th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Zach Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has agreed to a five-year, $82.5MM extension that includes $55MM in overall guarantees, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Evans is now under contract with the Bucs through the 2023 season. The deal also includes incentives that can push the deal’s overall value to nearly $96MM, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. Evans gets $38.3MM in full guarantees at signing, per The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link).

Before the deal, Evans was slated to reach the open market after the 2018 season. The new deal ensures that Evans will be part of the team for years to come while also making him one of the league’s highest-paid players at his position.

We’ll have to wait for the complete breakdown of the contract before stacking it up against the league’s other top-paid WRs, but here’s what we do know: Evans is now second amongst all receivers in terms of average annual value, trailing only Antonio Brown ($17MM/year). In terms of total value, Evans is the new king with a deal that just edges DeAndre Hopkins‘ five-year, $81MM deal with the Texans from last summer.

Evans also takes the top spot amongst all WRs in full guarantees. His $38.3MM guaranteed at signing bests Hopkins ($36.5MM), Julio Jones ($35.5MM), and Demaryius Thomas ($35MM).

According to La Canfora, Evans will get $55MM in injury guarantees, which bests Calvin Johnson‘s deal to become a new all-time high for WRs. He also has $38.3MM in guarantees over the first two years, per JLC. The deal includes a $1.5MM bonus in the final year that will force the Bucs to decide on his future prior to the start of the 2023 season.

Of course, the deal bodes well for other wide receivers waiting for their paydays, including Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr. ODB is reportedly seeking a deal in excess of $100MM and he is expected to top Evans despite missing the bulk of the 2017 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Bucs, Mike Evans Haven’t Discussed Deal

February 12th, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Zach Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is entering his walk year and his agent says the two sides have yet to discuss a new contract, as Trevor Sikkema of Pewter Report writes. It’s not clear when the two sides will engage in talks, but Evans’ rep says he wants to move forward with Tampa Bay.

“We’re not doing any negotiating. We’re just going to wait and play it out,” agent Deryk Gilmore said. “We think that the Buccaneers are a great organization. We feel that they really care about Mike; they care about the direction of the franchise and where it’s going. … He’s under contract so what we like to do is let him finish up. We think [Evans’ stats and records] will speak for itself, and when it comes time to do the deal I think his deal will be in-line with what we plan.”

At some point this offseason, the Bucs are expected to come to the table with an offer. Evans has topped 1,000 yards receiving has graded out as a top-20 player at his position in each of his four NFL seasons. In 2016, when the Bucs’ offense was clicking, Evans raised the bar with career highs in catches (96), receiving yards (1,321), and touchdowns (12, tied with 2014’s total) en route to his first ever Pro Bowl nod.

It’s possible that the Bucs are looking to get through free agency and the draft before turning their attention to Evans’ contract. For now, they have No. 13 under contract with a $13.26MM cap hit. If they can’t come to terms on a long-term deal, the Buccaneers can maintain control over Evans in 2019 with the franchise tag.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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NFL Suspends Buccaneers WR Mike Evans

November 6th, 2017 at 3:11pm CST by Zach Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been suspended without pay for one game, the NFL announced. Evans’ “violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules” on Sunday against the Saints will keep him sidelined for the team’s upcoming game against the Jets.

“During the third quarter, after a play had ended, you struck an unsuspecting opponent in the back, knocking him to the ground. Your conduct clearly did not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional,” NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote in a statement.

Per the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Evans may file for an appeal the suspension within three business days and he’ll do just that, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Appeals are heard and decided by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash in cases of on-field player discipline.

Evans, 24, has topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. He’s on pace to do it again (532 yards through eight games) but the one-game ban will set him back a bit.

The Buccaneers will also be without quarterback Jameis Winston this week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Bucs, WR Mike Evans Discussing Extension

September 24th, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers and wide receiver Mike Evans have engaged in preliminary extension negotiations, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Evans and Tampa Bay are “very early” in the discussion process, cautions La Canfora, and that comes as no surprise given that the Buccaneers have Evans under team control for some time. In what was surely a simple decision, the Bucs exercised Evans’ 2018 fifth-year option at a cost of $13.258MM, and the club could also utilize the franchise tag to retain Evans in 2019.

The franchise tender will likely only be on the table for one season, per La Canfora, as Tampa Bay will need to use the tag as leverage in talks with quarterback Jameis Winston following the 2019 campaign. Extending both Evans and Winston shouldn’t be a financial problem for the Buccaneers, however, as the team ranks in the top-10 in projected available cap space in each of the next three years.

Evans, 24, has lived up to his draft status since being chosen with the seventh overall pick in 2014. He’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons, and posted his best overall campaign in 2016, when he put up 96 receptions for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Extra Points: Packers, Cowboys, Buccaneers

July 8th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers will be returning seven wideouts from last year’s roster, and they’ve also brought in rookies DeAngelo Yancey and Malachi Dupre. A number of players could logically slot in behind starters Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, and they’re all aware of the fierce competition.

“I’d like to think we have more than seven guys who can play in that group, for sure,” receivers coach Luke Getsy told Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com. “Circumstances dictate a little bit the way things go … but the thing I’m excited about is I really do think we have more than seven guys who can contribute to us winning football games.”

Besides the starters and pair of rookies, the Packers are also rostering wideouts Jeff Janis, Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis, and Max McCaffrey.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

The Cowboys signed defensive tackle Cedric Thornton to a four-year, $17MM deal last offseason, and Brandon George of The Dallas News says the organization expects more from the 29-year-old during his second season with the team. The former undrafted free agent compiled only 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Dallas last year, and George believes he’ll once again be apart of the team’s eight-man defensive line rotation.
The Buccaneers inked free agent wideout DeSean Jackson to a contract earlier this season, and fellow receiver Mike Evans is excited about the duo’s potential. “This is going to be awesome,” Evans told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Obviously, I think we could be one of the best tandems in the league. DeSean is an explosive receiver. I think we can do great things together…As soon as he got signed, we had dinner and we connected right away. We knew each other already. I’ve always been a fan of his game and the swagger he brings. Having him on the team will be very helpful.” Evans finished last season with 1,321 yards on 96 catches, while Jackson hauled in 56 catches for 1,005 yards.
27 years after he was released by the Los Angeles Raiders and 16 years after he played with the AFL’s Los Angeles Avengers, quarterback Todd Marinovich is attempting a comeback. The 48-year-old is currently competing for a starting spot on the SoCal Coyotes of the World Developmental Football League. “It’s the greatest game on the planet and I’ve been away from it for so long, and I can’t think of anything more fun,” he told reporters (via ESPN.com). “Recovery has changed every aspect of my life and made it better so why wouldn’t that carry over to the football field?” Marinovich is referring to a former drug problem that led to him being arrested in 2016, although the former NFL quarterback said he’s been sober since that time.

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Bucs Exercise Mike Evans’ Fifth-Year Option

April 17th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have exercised wide receiver Mike Evans‘ 2018 fifth-year option, general manager Jason Licht announced today.

While the NFL hasn’t yet announced the fifth-year option figures for 2018, wide receivers selected within the top-10 picks will earn $12.268MM for the 2017 campaign, so Evans figures to rake in slightly more under the terms of his option. That salary made the decision an easy one for Tampa Bay, and the club is interested in inking Evans to a long-term deal, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Evans, 23, has lived up to his draft status since being chosen with the seventh overall pick in 2014. He’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons, and posted his best overall campaign in 2016. Last year, Evans put up 96 receptions for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 2016 Pro Bowler will count for roughly $4.6MM on the Buccaneers’ salary during the upcoming season.

Evans becomes the fifth member of the 2014 draft class to see his fifth-year option be picked up, joining Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), Aaron Donald (Rams), Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers), and Zack Martin (Cowboys).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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NFC Notes: Vikings, Redskins, Evans, Cardinals

March 12th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Rhett Ellison left the Vikings organization and signed a deal with the Giants last week. While the player cited his new team’s winning culture, his father indicated that he left Minnesota for other reasons.

Riki Ellison, a former NFL linebacker, sent out a Facebook post on Saturday night that blasted the Vikings for a “mentality of physical practices.” He noted that the number of free agent departures indicates “toxic leadership.”

“Do (free agents) think this program is going in the right direction and a Super Bowl contender or are they in a position to be another start-up, starting up from scratch?’’ the elder Ellison later told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. “That’s why you see your veterans are leaving because they have to look at the future. They should be able to retain anybody they want.

“There is something going on, from my perspective. Why would people be leaving a brand-new facility (U.S. Bank Stadium)? They got the best facility in the world. … That’s just not a normal thing to happen.’’

So far this offseason, the Vikings have seen the departure of tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, wide receiver Charles Johnson, punter Jeff Locke, and linebacker Audie Cole with Jacksonville.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

At one point, the Redskins may have had interest in free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim. The market has been pretty quiet for the former second-rounder, who we ranked as the second-best free agent interior lineman. The team met with free agent lineman Bennie Logan last week.
Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans was excited about the team’s acquisition of receiver DeSean Jackson, and general manager Jason Licht made it clear to the player that his payday was coming (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter). “We have until May,” Licht said of the player’s impending fifth-year option. “Mike Evans hopefully is going to be here a long time.”
The Cardinals have been prioritizing compensatory picks when it comes to “losing and signing new free agents,” tweets Mike Jurecki of FoxSports910, adding that the organization is looking to build via the draft. Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com predicts the team will get three extra picks following the departures of Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, and Marcus Cooper.

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