When it comes to the biggest fan favorite and face of the franchise for the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, it's easily, without a doubt, Mike Evans. The Bucs drafted Evans with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and he's become everything the team hoped he'd be and then some.
Well, apparently, it almost wasn't meant to be. Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said recently that a team had "a pretty good deal" to move up to the seventh pick in the draft and he considered the deal. Fortunately for Bucs fans, Licht wanted Evans badly at that point and so he got his guy.
The funny part of this story is that Licht told Evans, "You're welcome for not going to Cleveland."
Bucs GM Jason Licht said that the day of the 2014 NFL draft, an unnamed team had offered “a pretty good deal” to move up to No. 7. He considered it but had fallen in love with Mike Evans. He then said to Mike, “You’re welcome for not going to Cleveland.” (The Browns selected 8th)
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 3, 2025
Buccaneers GM admits Mike Evans was one pick away from being a Brown
Had Evans gone to Cleveland instead, he'd have been a part of history but not in a good way. He'd have likely been on both the 1-15 Browns squad in 2016 and the 0-16 team in 2017 assuming he hadn't been traded by that point. Evans also would have had some terrible quarterbacks throwing to him and probably wouldn't have had the success he's had in Tampa. His entire career trajectory would be different.
By getting drafted by the Bucs instead, Evans did still play for some bad teams but it all changed when Tom Brady signed with the team in free agency and changed the narrative of Bucs history forever. The team won a Super Bowl in the 2020 season and have been a playoff team ever since, even after Brady left and Baker Mayfield took over as quarterback.
The fact that Licht told Evans to thank him for not sending him to Cleveland is hilarious because the wide receiver probably thinks about what his career would have been like had things panned out that way. It's highly likely that he's not the same player he is with the Bucs and it's doubtful that he'd have spent the entirety of his career in Cleveland like he's looking to do in Tampa.
It was truly meant to be for Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and we have Jason Licht to thank for it.