Breaking: Buccaneers Exploring Deal To Sign 21-year-old WR To Potentially Replace Mike Evans
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks with several key free agents, including QB Baker Mayfield, WR Mike Evans, LB Devin White and safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
Tampa Bay isn’t in a bad financial situation, with $47.15M in salary cap space heading into 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. However, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah believes the team will opt to get younger in his latest mock draft by letting Evans walk in free agency and landing his replacement.
With pick No. 26 in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jeremiah has the Buccaneers selecting Texas WR Adonai Mitchell.
“The Bucs go with the power forward-like receiver to potentially replace Mike Evans, who is ticketed for free agency,” Jeremiah writes. “If you want to see what Mitchell is capable of, turn on the tape of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Washington.”
Mitchell’s four catches for 32 yards and a touchdown against Washington was impressive, but so was his 2023 season as a whole. The 21-year-old had 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns after spending the first two years of his collegiate career with Georgia.
Still, it will be difficult for Tampa Bay to replicate the production of Evans, who’s posted 10 straight 1,000-receiving-yard seasons to begin his NFL career.
It wouldn’t be solely up to Mitchell to replace Evans’ production. Chris Godwin would likely take over the No. 1 WR role with the rookie serving as the No. 2. But finding a way to retain Evans would give the Buccaneers the best chance of contending again in 2024.
Evans, who will turn 31 at the beginning of next season, is expected to receive a four-year, $95.3M contract ($23.8M per year) this offseason, per Spotrac.
Maybe there’s a scenario in which Tampa Bay can re-sign Evans and draft Mitchell, creating one of the better wide receiver trios in the league. But Jeremiah thinks Evans’ asking price may be too high.
Top landing spots for Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield in 2024
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in Baker Mayfield on a one-year deal, the future at quarterback for the team was uncertain. The former first overall draft pick had a turbulent recent history coming off a brief and unsuccessful stint with the Carolina Panthers before moving on to the Los Angeles Rams.
Mayfield’s tenure in Los Angeles was an improvement, but it wasn’t enough to garner interest from many teams until the Buccaneers came along. While many assumed that Mayfield was merely a temporary solution before the team eventually drafted a quarterback in 2024, the former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback made the most of the opportunity.
After leading the Buccaneers to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs and finishing in the top 10 in passing yards and touchdowns, Mayfield made himself a viable option for teams again, including Tampa Bay.
What are the top landing spots for Mayfield in free agency?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The most likely scenario is that the Buccaneers will re-sign Mayfield to a long-term contract. The quarterback proved that he was more than capable of leading Tampa Bay’s offense in 2023, and he’s expressed his desire to find a long-term home. That being said, the two parties didn’t reach an agreement before the Feb. 19 “soft deadline.” As a result, the Buccaneers suffered a $2.3 million cap hit.
This doesn’t mean that a deal is out of the question, however. The front office made their interest in retaining Mayfield clear when they gave him a say in the hiring of their new offensive coordinator, Liam Coen.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins will be a hot commodity this offseason. Throughout his 12-year career, Cousins has thrown for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns, and 110 interceptions. Much of his success has been in Minnesota, where he’s spearheaded the Vikings’ offense for the past six years.
The Vikings will likely try to bring back the signal-caller, but money talks and other teams could tempt Cousins as the most proven successful available quarterback. In this case, the Vikings might opt to bring in another veteran quarterback, such as Mayfield.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment did not go to plan for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the quarterback didn’t last long as the team’s starter. After a 3-5 start to the season, the franchise underwent major changes, including the firing of coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, as well as benching Garoppolo in favor of rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
O’Connell led the Raiders to an 8-9 record and finished the season with 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The former fourth-rounder isn’t expected to be the future of the franchise, meaning that the Raiders are in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder didn’t quite meet expectations this year, throwing for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While the Atlanta Falcons were briefly a playoff contender, a 1-4 end to the season solidified their fate.
Under new head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons are hoping to rebuild and find their new identity. Although speculation has surfaced about Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields joining the Atlanta team, that’s not to say that the Falcons wouldn’t have interest in recruiting Mayfield after facing the quarterback twice in 2023.
