Bleacher Report proposes absolutely insane Mike Evans trade

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bravely march forward into the post-Tom Brady era, the only thing that is undeniably certain is how unbelievably uncertain the future is.

The Bucs have an identity crisis, as the franchise much choose what it wants to be moving forward. So far is seems like internal expectations are vastly different than external perception.

Almost every NFL expert has written the Buccaneers off, with most expecting the team to tank for a top draft pick and perform a hard reset in 2024. That goes against everything the coaching staff and front office believes, as the folks at One Buc Place believe the team will compete next season the same as it has the last three.

Something's going to give, but it's clear that people are down on the Bucs. Part of what comes with that perception is reading into the team's issues, which has prompted some pretty bold predictions. Peter King ranked the Bucs as the second-worst team in the league, and others are stripping the Bucs for parts to help other teams around the league.

Buccaneers Rumors: B/R proposes bonkers Mike Evans trade

In a piece listing eight 'shocking' trades that could impact the playoff race next season, Bleacher Report suggested the Buccaneers should trade Mike Evans to the New York Giants.

Tampa Bay would get back Saquon Barkley and the Giants second round pick in next year's draft.

Big oof, but let's entertain this for a moment. After all, what's the internet if not a place to take ridiculous ideas and break them down?

To be fair, it's not that crazy of a deal and some Bucs fans might be on board with the deal. Evans is in a contract year and it's unclear how he fits into the team's future. He very well could be playing his final season in Tampa Bay before walking away in free agency.

In that scenario, the Bucs get nothing in return for him that could come close to matching the value he has. That's where you can see this trade getting cooked up, as the Bucs not only getting something back for Evans but getting one of the best running backs in the entire league seems like a decent swap.

As intriguing as it might be on the surface, the same issue with Evans is simply ported over to Barkley.

Barkley is currently holding out for a new contract, as he's also entering the final year of his current deal. Unless the Bucs are willing to give Barkley a long-term deal, that's a pretty big roadblock in this trade making much sense.

Tampa Bay would save $3 million between the two deals, as Barkely is owed $10 million while Evans deal is worth $13, which could go a long way in helping a cash-strapped team free up some much-needed space.

But again, is that worth moving on from Evans?

It doesn't make much financial sense and doesn't make a ton of logistical sense either. All offseason the Bucs have sharply countered the idea that the team is going to tank and believes it will remain competitive without Tom Brady. The front office made moves in that reinfornce that idea, re-signing Jamel Dean and Lavonte David while adding Baker Mayfield and Chase Edmonds.

If the Bucs want to be as competitive as everyone in the building believes, trading Evans goes against that idea. He's a critical component to the Bucs offense and trading him would take away a key element of the offense, putting whoever the quarterback ends up being behind the eight ball.

Barkley is fantastic, but it's a hard overcorrection to trade for him in order to fix a terrible run game when there are already pieces in place to do that. Rachaad White is RB1 and Skip Peete brings a pedigree that should go a long way in making the guys in the room much bet

What the Bucs would acquire in this trade certainly doesn't make the team worse, but what they'd be giving up does. Evans might end up beng a lifer in Tampa Bay, and it's short-sighted to trade him away as an overreaction to surface-level panic points.