Star wide receiver Mike Evans has put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on notice. On Friday, a statement was released by his representatives, Day 1 Sports and Entertainment, that the deadline for a contract extension would be the first week of the season.
That gives the Buccaneers a little more than a week to hammer out a deal with Mike Evans. However, it doesn’t sound like that a deal is likely. According to his agent, Tampa Bay hasn’t made an extension offer to him yet as the team doesn’t want to pay two wide receivers $20 million annually.
The other receiver making that much money is Chris Godwin, who is entering Year 2 of a three-year contract that he signed last offseason. If the Buccaneers don’t have an intention to pay Mike Evans the kind of money he is seeking, they should explore the trade market.
His value, even heading into the last season on his contract, would be immense. He is a difference-maker at wide receiver, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in all nine of his seasons as a professional.
Where could he end up? Former NFL star cornerback, Aqib Talib, believes that Mike Evans should push for a trade to the Detroit Lions. He shared that hot take during a recent appearance on Up and Adams on FanDuel TV.
First and foremost, in the opinion of Talib, Mike Evans has to look to get paid. The Lions, who currently have the fifth most cap space in the NFL, would be able to compensate him the way that he is seeking.
In the statement, it was said that he wanted to compete for a ring. The Lions may not be at that level yet, but they are trending in the right direction. General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have revamped the culture in the Motor City and are poised to take that next step.
Their quarterback, Jared Goff, has already played in a Super Bowl during his time with the Los Angeles Rams. Mike Evans has a ring himself from three seasons ago, bringing championship mettle to a young roster lacking that kind of experience.
Talib believes that the Lions could be a contender in the NFC and it is easy to see why. After the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, things are pretty wide open. Why can’t the Lions, with a potent offense that would become even more dangerous with Evans, be the next team in line?
Adding him alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and eventually Jameson Williams would give the Lions one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL. Teams would have nightmares trying to figure out how to slow them down with Jahmyr Gibbs leading the backfield with David Montgomery.
