One of the bigger talking points about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason has been the wide receiver room. The loss of Mike Evans stings and won't feel any better any time soon, but it isn't the end of the world.
Fans may disagree, but Evans is in the twilight of his career, and despite getting a bigger offer to stay put, he opted to leave for the West Coast. Evan's production last year paled in comparison to Emeka Egbuka, but that doesn't mean the Bucs receiving group is now in desperation mode.
With the NFL Draft a month away, it would make sense to pencil in a pass-catcher to replace Evans, but maybe it's time to put the brakes on a day-one selection. It's time to see what Tez Johnson can do.
Tez Johnson could be the biggest beneficiary in the departure of Mike Evans from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Johnson isn't an outside receiver, let's get that much right. He is a shifty slot receiver whose ability to add yards after the catch makes him a valuable asset.
Statistically speaking, the Bucs may need to fill the void on the boundary, but Chris Godwin will handle that along with Egbuka. With Evans gone, Baker Mayfield won't feel compelled to feed the ball to his star receiver.
Evans was targeted 62 times last season, good enough for third on the team. He only caught 30 of those passes, tying him for sixth on the team with Bucky Irving. Johnson is seventh with 28 on 44 targets.
What Johnson may lack as an outside receiver, he makes up for with standout route running that showcases his agility, speed, and vision. He moves off the snap with quick speed and should see a big uptick in attention from Mayfield this year.
It's easy to miss good players who may find openings when star receivers take up the initial looks. No matter how good a quarterback may be, his initial focus is always on the top guys. Tom Brady was good at spreading the ball around, but his first looks were always to his top receivers, often missing on other targets.
Johnson should become more of a focal point in the offense with Evans gone. Mayfield will still have Egbuka, who came close to 1,000 yards last season, as well as Godwin, who is entering year 10 of his career.
If the Buccaneers are going to draft a receiver, they may want to nab one of the mid-round standouts in this year's draft class, rather than spend a day or two picking on a position that doesn't look as bad as many see.
Evans' departure stings from a legend's standpoint. He spent his entire career with Tampa, and watching a fan-favorite depart is always a bitter pill to swallow, but in terms of production, the Bucs are not going to see the drop-off many have predicted.