Bucs’ Best Contract Is A No-Brainer

Jason Licht has done a masterful job building the Bucs. The contract work done by Mike Greenberg and Jackie Davidson over the last few years to keep the team’s Super Bowl window open has been nothing short of fantastic. A quick look at the team’s roster will confirm that.

In a league with a salary cap, it isn’t easy to keep so much talent on board from year to year. So, when it comes to picking Tampa Bay’s best contract, it should be difficult, right? Well, maybe not so much.

Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger recently published a piece on each NFC team’s best contract, and his pick for the Bucs is ultimately a no-brainer. He went with wide receiver Mike Evans, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2018. He has two years and $28.5 million remaining on that deal. Considering his production, he comes at a price tag that is nothing short of a steal.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Spielberger points out that since 2014, Evans is fourth in PFF’s wins above replacement (WAR) metric. He also has the third-most receiving yards, the second-most explosive receptions and the most receiving touchdowns in the league since 2014. And despite all of that, his contract’s average annual value ranks 17th among receivers throughout the league. That’s right, the Bucs have a legitimate top-five receiver on a bargain deal. 

“Don’t need much more of an explanation than that,” Spielberger wrote.

What’s been so remarkable about Evans throughout his career is that he has remained such a team player. In a league full of  receivers always looking for the biggest contracts, the 2014 first-round pick has always been about winning. Of course, he’s made his money. But he has never been a me-first guy on the field, nor has he been one off of it. It’s what made it that much more special when the Bucs won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Evans got a well-deserved championship ring, something that only adds to his Hall of Fame resume.

It’ll be interesting to see how Licht, Greenberg and Davidson approach Evans’ contract going forward. Will the two sides work out an extension before he becomes a free agent in 2024? If so, what will that contract look like?

One thing is for sure: Evans should be a career Buccaneer, and there’s a good chance he wants that to be the case. And as a result, finding the right deal to allow him to finish his career in Tampa should be manageable.

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