The Detroit Lions had one of the league’s top passing games in 2023, pairing explosive receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with breakout rookie tight end Sam LaPorta for an offense that brought the team within sight of its first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
Though the Lions could face some financial constraints this offseason, one insider advised them to “make a serious splash” by adding one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL — Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-catcher Mike Evans. Christian Booher of SI.com named Evans as one of the top three wide receiver targets for the Lions this offseason, noting that he would be expensive but well worth the price.
Mike Evans Would Fit Detroit’s Offense
Booher noted that Evans has been “exceptional” throughout his career, topping 1,000 yards in each of his 10 seasons since being drafted by the Buccaneers in 2014. Evans is coming off a season where he made 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and a league-best 14 touchdowns.
Pairing Evans with St. Brown could give the Lions a serious advantage on offense, Booher wrote — and would give opposing defenses serious fits.
“He fits the Lions offense as an outside vertical threat, which would perfectly compliment All-Pro slot receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown,” Booher wrote. “Evans’ production speaks for itself, as he’s able to use his size to overwhelm opposing corners down the field.”
While Evans has expressed a desire to return to Tampa, Booher noted that contract negotiations have failed to make progress and he now appears “certain” to hit the free agent market.
“However, the current projected contract for him lands around $23 million annually, which would be a steep price for the Lions to pay,” Booher wrote.
Booher added that if the Lions balk at the expected salary for Evans, Buffalo Bills receiver Gabe Davis could be a more affordable target.
Another Path for Mike Evans
Though Booher was confident that Evans would be headed to free agency, the Buccaneers appear to be making a late push to keep him in Tampa. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said in a February 25 appearance on SportsCenter that Evans wants to retire as a Buccaneer and that the team had a strong desire to bring him back as well.
BREAKING: The #Buccaneers are working to keep star WR Mike Evans “in a major way,” per ESPN.
Evans “wants to retire a Buccaneer,” and Tampa Bay has would like the same for the future Hall of Famer. pic.twitter.com/xAEah1bQPp
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) February 25, 2024
That does not mean a deal will get done. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on February 19 that the two sides still had a long way to go before reaching an agreement.
“The #Buccaneers had a soft deadline today to get an extension done with Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans, but both sides remain far apart, sources say. Tampa Bay is set to take on $7.4M in 2024 dead money by not getting a deal done today,” Schultz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Talks will continue, but my understanding is Evans is trending toward becoming a free agent, barring an unexpected change in discussions.”
ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported before the season that Tampa ownership was wary about investing too much money into Evans, especially after incurring a major cap hit to make a Super Bowl run with Tom Brady. But the expected rebuild in Tampa may have vanished as a resurgent Baker Mayfield led the team to a third consecutive division title.
