Bears Fan At NFL.com Believes Bucs Should Trade Mike Evans To Bears

February 17th, 2023

Trade bait?

Joe’s not sure if this is satire or genuine. But Joe does think it is unadulterated bulls(p)it.

Adam Rank, a columnist and an essayist for NFL.com and NFL Network, doesn’t make any secret he’s a Bears fan (poor thing). So Joe is guesses the following is part satire, mostly hope with a light dusting of facts sprinkled in.

Rank believes the Bucs will have to move good players with pricy salaries. So he believes Mike Evans is a trade target

And Rank has Evans’ new team picked out — the Bears, naturally.

In the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement, I’m not sure how close the Buccaneers are to being competitive. Even if they were to nab an accomplished veteran signal-caller — like, say, Derek Carr — I’m not sure how high the ceiling is. Winning a watered-down NFC South again? Alright, yeah, maybe. But actually competing for a title? Hard to see. Thus, moving on from the 29-year-old Evans in the last year of his contract makes too much sense.

A lot of people might think I’m just saying this because I want him to go to Chicago. (NEWS FLASH: I’m a Bears fan.) OK, those people would be right.

Joe would be surprised about this for a couple of reasons. One, the Bucs don’t have a quarterback unless you believe Kyle Trask is that guy. So if the Bucs are going to lure a quarterback, you’re not going to go about it by trading a monster receiver, a monster attraction for a QB.

And if you are going to develop a quarterback, say Trask or a rookie, what better way than to have two premier target, Chris Godwin and Evans?

Just say “No,” Bucs.

Sorry, Bears fans.

82 Responses to “Bears Fan At NFL.com Believes Bucs Should Trade Mike Evans To Bears”

  1. A Bucs Fan Says:

    Does anyone think Mike will sign an extension to finish his career here?

  2. For the People Says:

    I hate to say it but if it gives mike a better chance to finish his career on a good team and gives us a shot at the 1.1 Id do it… Mikes gotta be worth Atleast one 1st at this point right?

  3. YucsBall Says:

    High chance ME13 takes an extension

  4. PSL Bob Says:

    No way he’s traded to anyone!

  5. Mort Says:

    Three premiere targets. Gage is really good. He was injured literally all year and still managed to score the second most on the team at 5 tuddies (ME13 lead the team with 6).

  6. Marine Buc Says:

    I believe we owe Mike Evans $21M in deferred signing bonus money. If we trade him won’t this money become due immediately?

    Plus – it’s the same problem with cutting players like D. Smith, L. Fournette and Succop – now we will need to find a replacement for our #1 WR.

    I really want to see Evans retire as a Buc so I would rather see our GM work out an extension that will lower his salary in 2023 and give us a little more wiggle room under the cap.

  7. BA’s Red Pen Says:

    Zero chance ME13 is traded.

  8. FortMyersDave Says:

    Doubtfull if Mike wants to playing in Chicago as well as road games in Green Bay and Detroit during the winter to wind his career down. Even when the Bears are predicted to be decent they usually come up short. If Mike leaves it will not be to a club like Chicago. Good chance he retires a Buc.

  9. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    If the Chicago Bears trade down and pick up a bevy of Picks
    I can see them making a push for Chris Godwin.

  10. BucsFan81 Says:

    I would rather just keep Mike and extend him to be a buc for life. Move some other pieces or cut what you need to with other players. He has been a stand up guy on and off the field plus leadership. It’s to hard to replace. Plus I think he still has another 4 years left in him.

  11. Anonymous Says:

    we are not trading mike to get a 21 million dollar dead cap hit, dream on.

  12. Bucs814 Says:

    13 will be a Buc for his entire career. Goin’ to the Bears?! Not gonna happen.

  13. SB~LV Says:

    Hell yes !

    Every player that can bring building blocks for the next run should be traded.

  14. FortMyersDave Says:

    LUVMYBUCS, what would be reasonable value for Godwin: a day 2 pick? Technically he is still damaged goods due to the injury he got when the Saints went “BountyBall” in their 2nd game versus Tampa in 2021 but obviously has a lot of upside.

  15. robert Says:

    trade him…..losing a step and by the time they figure out a decent offense he will be done.

    good for him and good for us

  16. zzbucs Says:

    I understand 2023, probably 2024 will be a rebuilding years, I can stand any trade, but NOT ME13….That´s my limit…..

  17. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Speculation abounds…….let’s get to some mock drafts please……you can forget FA…..we will scramble to sign some of our own players….much less others.

  18. Joe in Michigan Says:

    SB~LV Says:
    February 17th, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Hell yes !

    Every player that can bring building blocks for the next run should be traded.
    ^^^^^^^^
    You don’t trade building blocks already in place for lottery tickets (draft picks who may or may not make it). I hope you were joking when you mentioned trading Wirfs for draft picks a while back.

  19. NEfan Says:

    That’s like sending him to Siberia! A QB that can’t throw, why not just ship him to a glue factory?

  20. Beeej Says:

    He has a wife and kids who have lived all their lives here, moving to a new city just got a few more wins probably isn’t his to priority

  21. JN Says:

    For the right price I would do this in a heart beat. How many good years does Evans have left? Dump his salary and pick up draft capital. Again, what would the right price be for Licht? No 1? No 2? I dunno what Bucs would want in return. Now I would trade Evans for Fields straight up but I can’t see Chicago doing that.

  22. NEfan Says:

    Believe it or not Bucs fans, he is just what the Patriots need. They have a bunch of above average receivers and need that one seasoned vet that can go over the top. He wouldn’t get his 1000 yds but he’d get more TD’s.

  23. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Potential Trade Candidates

    WR Chris Godwin

    PRE-6/1 TRADE
    2023 Dead Cap: $15,000,000
    2023 Cap Savings: $8,750,000 <<<

    _____________________

    LT Donovan Smith

    -6/1 RELEASE & TRADE
    2023 Dead Cap: $2,650,000
    2024 Dead Cap: 5,300,000
    2023 Cap Savings: $15,250,000<<<

    _______________________

    LB Devin White

    PRE-6/1 TRADE
    2023 Dead Cap: $0
    2023 Cap Savings: $11,706,000<<<

    Potential Savings 2023: $35,000,000

  24. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    @ FortMyersDave

    Unless there’s a bidding war – Two 2nd Round Picks sound reasonable.

  25. Guzzie Says:

    Teams aren’t loyal to players only fans are, would it surprise you if Mike wants to play for a contender instead of rebuilding, plus big receivers are notorious for falling off a cliff later in their careers, he gets hurt next, he’d have zero trade value and the team would probably cut him instead of paying $20M for an aging WR, AJ Green n Julio are excellent examples of how big receivers decline quickly, remember Vincent Jackson, Evans isn’t Jerry Rice

  26. Guzzie Says:

    Evans is 29 with a high salary, his trade value isn’t a 1st, maybe one 2nd, more likely a 3rd

  27. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    LT Donovan Smith

    PRE-6/1 RELEASE & TRADE
    2023 Dead Cap: $2,650,000
    2024 Dead Cap: 5,300,000
    2023 Cap Savings: $15,250,000<<<

  28. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Detroit Lions could be an ideal trade partner for LB Devin White

  29. cspann Says:

    release D.White, D.Smith, Succup, Mason. Trade Gage

  30. Dooley Says:

    @NEFan

    Don’t kid yourself, the Patriots are holding the keys to the AFC East for the foreseeable future. Jets are going to keep getting better, so will Miami, and Buffalo has had a tough time not dropping 30 ppg on you guys since Brady left lol Mike Evans is going to leave tax havens like FL or TX to come pay for the cost of living in New England?

  31. Snookman9 Says:

    Look, what is best for longevity of the bucs im
    All for. Id much rather see a team make an effort to get better by developing young players than play this “back side of their career” veteran game. Mike is a legend in tampa but its nos
    Time to realize hes on the back 9 and his value as a trade piece is greater than just a mentor. Lets get right with the cap

  32. NEfan Says:

    Dooley, Pat’s beat the Jets twice and Miami once. Buffalo is turning into a one trick pony. Their problem is that Belichick still thinks he can win with a top 15 QB and what recent history has showed us that is no longer the case.

  33. Rob Says:

    If Mike Evans doesn’t retire a Buccaneer we riot.

  34. Bobby M. Says:

    Evans/Gage or Godwin/Gage is more than adequate for young or old QB

  35. SOEbuc Says:

    Age doesn’t matter when it comes to talent Goat, Lavonte, and Mike prove this. . Lavonte and Mik3 will retire Bucs.

  36. Buddha Says:

    Godwin and Evans will take salary adjustments. You have to be blind to not see that Brady constantly missed Evans throughout the season. The Buccaneers are not going to trade either. Godwin had pro bowl numbers the last five weeks.

  37. Dooley Says:

    @Rob

    I will fly to St.Pete on a red-eye just to kick some sh*t over and short a waitress on her tip.

    @NEfan

    Ya’ll are going to the basement my guy, you’re not projected to be as good as the other 3 teams in the AFC East. if Selah gets a legit QB and they draft anything like they did last year, you’ll split with them at best. Pats will be playing for 3rd/4th place in 2023 and ya’ll don’t have anybody that’s making a difference against Gardner. Miami will have Waddle & Hill still, and Buffalo beat yall by a combined score of 59-33 last year lol so apparently that 1 trick is beating the brakes off of you guys lol

  38. Go Bucs Go Says:

    Easy take.
    Mike Evans’s time in Buccaneers is over.
    He will seek the next challenge in his career if he learned anything from Tom Brady. He doesn’t have anything to prove here in Tampa.
    He will be great elsewhere.

    Go Bucs!

  39. BFFL Says:

    Probably around week 8 if Bucs are like 0-8 I’d expect Evans to be traded then.

  40. A Bucs Fan Says:

    I don’t believe Mike will be traded and I don’t think he should be. I want him to be a Buc forever like Fitz was for Arizona.

    Besides the only team that would be a better fit for him than Tampa off the field is the Texans.

  41. Dooley Says:

    @Go Bucs Go

    only a sith deals in absolutes

  42. Oxycondoms Says:

    Evans has seen his peak days

  43. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    DRAFT PROJECTION: 3RD (WR)
    -Xavier Hutchinson Iowa State
    -Jonathan Mingo Ole Miss Rebels
    -Cedric Tillman Tennessee Volunteers

  44. Christos Says:

    Suuuuuure, give us the number 1 pick then hahaha

  45. Kalind Says:

    I’d need Fields, and about 10-12 years of first round draft picks. Then, I’d at least not slam the phone down.

  46. DoooshLaRue Says:

    Mike makes bad QBs look great and great ones look ehh.

    Trade him.

  47. Letsbucinggo Says:

    Its sad he won’t get a 1000 yards this year if Trask or Lock are the quarterback. At his age your not going to get a high pick for him. The only way I would trade him is straight up for Justin Fields if the Bears decide to draft another quarterback.

  48. Anonymous Says:

    I’m with the thinking of the other Anonymous on this one. That’s putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger in dead cap this year. More importantly I’d just rather see Mike a Buccaneer for life.

  49. Dooley Says:

    Can anybody tell me why we barely saw any of the back shoulder fades in the redzone to Evans that were pretty much a high % scoring play for us in 2020, 2021, but not 2022? Anybody? Bueller? Kowalski? Was it because Mike couldnt make the play, or partly cause Tom couldn’t make the throw?

  50. Colonel Angus Says:

    If Bucs are getting a veteran QB, I doubt we’ll trade away one of his top targets.

  51. JonGruden Says:

    Dbag

  52. Allbuccedup Says:

    Package Evans, Smith and Gage for Justin Fields and the bears 2nd round pick.

  53. Aceofaerospace Says:

    Trade away one of the top 10 players to ever don a Bucs uniform for more than one season at your own peril.

  54. BucFanForever Says:

    Buc fans believe the Chiefs should trade Patrick Mahomes to the Bucs for a 7th round draft pick.

  55. NE fan Says:

    Dooley, I knew I could collect I would bet you any amount of $ Patriots have a better season than the Bucs do and they are in a much harder division.
    We also have a quality OC now unlike the Carroll retread assistant to the assistant waterboy’s uncles cousin.

  56. LOL Says:

    LOL

  57. HC Grover Says:

    I hope so I think rebuild calls for trade the old pros. Trade Godwin too and anyone else they can unload for picks.

  58. sasquatch Says:

    Some Bears fan wants us to trade Mike Evans to his team, and this is now worth posting on JBF?

    The answer is NO, btw.

    It would be interesting to see the b!tching and moaning crowd if they traded Evans — when the new offense can’t move the ball through the air — they’d blame the new OC.

  59. NE fan Says:

    sasquash, on no Mon Freire, Blows would be to blame and well deserved.

  60. Usfbuc Says:

    Trading a player doesn’t just clear cap space guys. We would still be stuck with I believe a large portion of his salary.

  61. Mike C Says:

    NE FAN GO AWAY! you have no jock to sniff here anymore.

  62. Jeff Says:

    Do it! This needs to be a complete rebuild or they are going to achieve mediocrity at best.

  63. Mike C Says:

    Let us know when NE wins a SB without Brady.

  64. Dooley Says:

    @NEFan

    Bill O’Brien is overrated and a retread OC, after having some success at Penn State post-JoePa & even with a positive win percentage as Texan HC, he’s still remembered for trading a top-10 WR in D-Hop for a fried bologna sandwich and a 12 oz diet mountain dew, gross. Houston still hasn’t replaced D-Hop. Imagine drafting N’Keal Harry 32nd overall and trading him 3 years later for a 7th round pick lol all that said, at best you guys’ll finish 3rd.

  65. Duane Says:

    You got a thousand yard receiver and a 100 catch receiver on the same team, they are both big, and block if you can get the run game going. That synergy is a strength you do not get rid of. You need those pieces to lure a quarterback, or to help develop a young one. Even Bowles knows to not tinker with Evans/Godwin.

  66. View from 132 Says:

    For #1 overall. Sure, do it.

  67. gofortheface30 Says:

    Some of you need to get a grip and a hard dose of reality. Jerry f’ing Rice ended his career with another team, still to me the greatest football player that ever lived. Tom Brady, Tim Brown, Montana and on and on and on. Mike Evans, isnt exactly immune to the realities of the NFL. You know – like John Lynch. You’ll get over it. Future of team is more important, and if it means jumping up in the first round to potentially get a Will Levis or even a Bryce Young, I wouldnt spend a single second thinking about it. But, I guess a lot of you would willingly cut your nose despite your face because of emotional attachment to a younger guy you dont even know.

  68. gofortheface30 Says:

    Duane – you have no idea what Bowles is thinking, and the decision ultimately sits with Licht, not a coach that wont be here beyond next year.

  69. Zippy Foonman Says:

    There hasn’t been any clear indication of what’s being planned. I’d think, though, you might want to hang on to two very talented receivers so the team isn’t without weapons. Cuts or trades elsewhere – yes. But keep Godwin and Evans with renegotiated contracts. I’m not sure if the powers that be want to take us through another 3-5 win season. We’re in a winnable division. It took us 18 years to get to our second Super Bowl with a ton of bad football in between. Do we really want to bet that being bad for a couple of years is a guarantee we can work our way back to elite status?

  70. Chris Adams Says:

    We mortgaged the future to win with Brady. Kicking the can down the road just delays the inevitable pain. Trade Evans, White and any older player with a big contract for draft picks. Draft a quarterback next year (hopefully not another Jameis) and rebuild the team.

  71. Jaco Says:

    Many of us have been saying to trade mike evans for months now. Why does Joes not listen to us but other web sites?????

  72. Seattle Buc is back in TB Says:

    Stupidest notion I’ve ever heard. That’s light years dumber than trading lagerett Blount for Jeff Demps. You people are beyond stupid if you think we should trade Mike.

  73. Buc king Says:

    If Mike evans the greatest offensive player the bucs ever had doesn’t play his whole career for the bucs I will call for heads..I feel the sane regarding lvd.

  74. DoooshLaRue Says:

    There’s a lot of nostalgic sissies on this site.
    It’s time to make changes and sell high.

    Save the “Buc for Life” BS please.

  75. gofortheface30 Says:

    Oh Seattle Buc, you’re adorable. I hope some of you don’t own business, itll crash and burn in a yr. You let your little emotions get caught up in business decisions. You calling people “stupid” is pure irony and elite comedy. Go to walgreens and pick up some OTC stuff for those menstrual cramps buddy boy

  76. Greg Says:

    I know this is mostly click bait but I actually brought this possibility up to my friend just 3 days ago. There were some drinks involved. I thought if the Bucs traded their 19th pick and Mike Evans to the Bears for their 1st pick would it be enough. Probably have to throw in another pick. It could be worth it since the Bears desperately need a WR. Evans is close to 30 which is about how old Vincent Jackson was when he came here from the Chargers. If it gives us the top QB in the draft it would be a HUGE jump on our re-build.

  77. catcard202 Says:

    It would make more sense for the FO to trade Godwin post June 1 than Evans.
    It moves $20M & Bucs could get something close to AJ Brown deal (to PHI) to replace him.

  78. Mike S Says:

    LOL no

  79. Bigz Says:

    Yes. It’s a waste to keep him here with our inevitable rebuild. He’s getting old and cost a lot. Trade him while we can get something. I doubt we even get a 1.

  80. sasquatch Says:

    DoooshLaRue Says:
    February 17th, 2023 at 1:36 pm

    There’s a lot of nostalgic sissies on this site.
    It’s time to make changes and sell high.

    Save the “Buc for Life” BS please.

    Doosh is an appropriate name.

  81. DoooshLaRue Says:

    sasquatch Says:
    February 17th, 2023 at 3:51 pm
    DoooshLaRue Says:
    February 17th, 2023 at 1:36 pm

    There’s a lot of nostalgic sissies on this site.
    It’s time to make changes and sell high.

    Save the “Buc for Life” BS please.

    Doosh is an appropriate name.
    ________

    We choose our own names on here don’t we?

    Looks like I’m realistic and your just a blurry picture.

  82. sasquatch Says:

    * you’re