Buccaneers: Predicting the contracts of cornerstone stars
MIKE EVANS
Mike Evans will be the first of the new Bucs cornerstones to get a new deal since he is heading into his fourth season.
While playing in 46 games he has 238 receptions for 3,578 yards and 27 touchdowns, a seasonal average of 79 reception 1193 yards and nine touchdowns and fifteen yards per reception.
With three 1,000 yard seasons, two seasons of ten or more touchdowns, and being selected to one Pro Bowl, Evans has been nothing short of spectacular.
During his three-year career he has totaled the fifth most receiving yards during that time while improving every season in receptions and yardage.
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On April 17th of 2017 the Bucs exercised his 2018 fifth year option worth $13,258,000.
This season as part of his fully guaranteed four-year rookie contract he will make a total of $4,655,478.
During the 2014 NFL draft there were five wide receivers (Sammy Watkins – 4th, Evans – 7th, Odell Beckham Jr. – 13th, Brandin Cooks – 20th, and Kelvin Benjamin – 28th) taken in the first round and they all will be looking for their next contract around the same time.
The only exception is Sammy Watkins whose fifth year option was not picked up making him a free agent after this season.
Out of these 2014 first round wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. is the only one that has outperformed Mike Evans with 50 more receptions, 544 more yards, and eight more touchdowns in three less games played.
So when can these first round wide receiver expect to get new deals? Well recent history has shown that a new contract is usually given just over a year after the fifth year option is exercised.
This tells us that most likely all of these receivers will be getting new deals after this season, but with Licht and the Bucs finding some of their diamonds in the rough in second, third, and fourth rounds that do not get a fifth year option Evans new deal come sooner.
Most likely Beckham Jr and Evans contracts will be linked together although Beckham came out during a training camp pressers and stated that he wanted to be the highest paid not only receiver but player in the NFL (Not happening, sorry).
Mike Evans then was asked his response to OBJs statement:
"“Odell’s trying to be the highest paid in the league, He is the face of the NFL, but I don’t know if he should be the highest-paid PLAYER. He’s the highest-paid in endorsements, so that’s good. But as far as highest-paid player, quarterback is the most invaluable position in team sports. So I would think a quarterback. But he should be definitely paid as one of the top three receivers, though.”"
Meaning that Evans should expect to be paid right behind him as the fourth highest paid receiver.
Per Over the Cap.com the Top 5 paid wide receivers annually are:
1) Antonio Brown – $17 mil avg./year, 2) AJ Green – $15 mil avg./year, 3) Julio Jones – $14.25 avg./year, 4) Dez Bryant – $14 mil avg./year, and 5) Demaryius Thomas – $14 mil avg./year with Evans ranking 36th highest for 2017 and fourth highest in 2018 (5th year option).
Beckham will most likely get his contract prior to the 2018 season and making him the third highest paid receiver in the NFL and then Evans will fall right behind him. Unless Beckham’s drags out his demand of wanting to be the top paid player, then Evans and Bucs could come to an agreement first and set the mark.
CONTRACT PREDICTION:
Mike Evans signs new deal July-August of 2018 for five years $72,000,000 for average of $14,400,000 annually with $32,400,000 guaranteed making him the fourth highest paid receiver after Beckham is signed.