ESPN proposes trade for star player Buccaneers can't refuse

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have to consider the future of Mike Evans this season.

Evans has one year remaining on his contract, and the Bucs are unlikely to compete in the NFC. Should they consider trading their star wide receiver?

The four-time Pro Bowler has a cap hit of $23.7 million this season, but the Bucs could create $14.5 million by trading him before the deadline, per Over The Cap.

While it wouldn't be an easy decision to move on from the franchise's all-time leading receiver, it's important to look at the bigger picture. The Bucs aren't going to compete for a Super Bowl without Tom Brady, so why not look beyond 2023?

Finding a trade partner for Evans shouldn't be too challenging, and ESPN has a proposal that would be tough to turn down.

ESPN trade proposal for Mike Evans that Buccaneers can't refuse

ESPN's Seth Walder created a trade proposal that would send Evans to the New York Jets.

In return, the Bucs would receive a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 second-round choice. While that may not sound like much for a superstar wide receiver, it's important to remember that Evans only has a year remaining on his contract and turns 30 this month.

If the Bucs lose Evans in free agency next offseason, the best they can hope for is a third-round compensatory draft choice.

Why would the Bucs have to wait until 2025 for the second-round pick? That is a complication of the Aaron Rodgers trade. New York will send its first- or second-rounder to the Green Bay Packers next year, depending on how many snaps Rodgers plays. In the meantime, they are unable to use either pick in a deal.

By making this trade, the Bucs would add a premium pick in 2025, a mid-round selection in 2024, and create a significant amount of cap space. For a receiver likely to leave next offseason anyway, it's a win for Tampa Bay.

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