Getty The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could trade away Mike Evans in an effort to rebuild their roster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot of questions that need answered this offseason, including what the future holds for some of their top playmakers like Mike Evans in the post-Tom Brady era.
The 29-year-old veteran wideout has already been linked to teams in trade rumors throughout the offseason. With Brady gone and either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask taking over under center, it’s unclear if Bucs general manager Jason Licht wants to hit the reset button on the franchise.
If Licht decides to blow it up, Kristopher Knox with Bleacher Report wrote about ideal trade packages for players like Evans who need a fresh starter, suggesting that the four-time Pro Bowler gets moved to the Indianapolis Colts.
Tampa Bay receives: 2024 2nd-round pick, 2024 3rd-round pick
Indianapolis receives: WR Mike Evans
“Evans is entering the final year of his contract and hasn’t been quite as productive as Davante Adams, who netted the Green Bay Packers a first- and a second-round pick in last year’s trade,” Knox wrote. “His price point should be just a notch lower.”
Who Else Could Be On The Trade Block?
Evans isn’t the only player the Buccaneers could consider trading, whether that’s this offseason or prior to the 2023 season’s trade deadline. In fact, the 29-year-old may not even be the only wide receiver the Bucs could consider trading.
Chris Godwin has two years left on his $60 million contract extension, and his 2024 cap hit of over $27 million could be tough for the team to justify depending on how next season goes. The Green Bay Packers have already been named a potential suitor for the talented wideout if the Buccaneers decided to move on.
It’s still unclear what the future holds for star linebacker Devin White, who requested a trade from Tampa Bay prior to the 2023 NFL Draft. The 25-year-old will be playing on the final year of his rookie deal in 2023, and will likely be seeking a new team willing to pay him similar money to what Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith received last season.
Other names could pop up over the coming months, but at the moment some of the franchise’s biggest names could be playing for new teams in the not-so-distant future.
Is Todd Bowles On The Hot Seat?
With so many potential changes coming this season, it’s safe to say that head coach Todd Bowles’ future is also up in the air.
After three seasons as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, Bowles took over as head coach last season following Bruce Arians stepping down from the role. Despite an NFC South divisional title, the Buccaneers went just 8-9 and had a first-round exit from the playoffs in a 31-14 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, the pressure is on for Bowles to have a winning team with a new quarterback under center. The former New York Jets head coach was considered a hot seat candidate before the 2022 season even ended, adding even more pressure heading into this upcoming season.
If the Buccaneers can’t roll out a competitive squad in an underperforming division, then Bowles could end up having a very short stint as the head coach in Tampa Bay.