Getty Mike Evans with Chris Godwin.
With the Washington Commanders having the most cap space in the NFL this offseason, they have multiple options to upgrade the roster. The first order of business will be drafting a quarterback as they have the No. 2 pick in the draft. Adding receivers around whoever they draft will be a must and a veteran like Mike Evans could make perfect sense for them. While Evans could be interested in playing for a contending team, the Commanders could be better quicker than some believe if they find their quarterback.
Evans is projected to land a four-year, $95,343,536 contract, according to Spotrac. That price wouldn’t be an issue for the Commanders. With his pending free agency, Tony Catalina of Pro Football Network listed the Commanders as one of three predicted landing spots for Evans.
“Unlike the previous two destinations, it would not be as ready-made of a situation, but the Washington Commanders have money to spend and are led by a new stable of leaders looking to head in the right direction.
“Historically speaking, the Washington franchise has been unafraid to spend big money in free agency, and it may take that again to lure in Evans in this situation. But with the second overall pick in the draft, a boatload of cash to spend, and Dan Quinn running the show now, there are far worse situations to be in than the one in the nation’s capital.”
Catalina hints that the Commanders potentially have to overpay, but that’s the reality of the situation for a team that has struggled in recent seasons. If they were to overpay someone, a player of his caliber would be ideal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Want to Re-Sign Evans
With Evans spending every season of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them re-sign him. Evans has also produced more than nearly every other wide receiver in football, posting over 1,000 yards every season. Evans was the first player to begin his career with 10 consecutive seasons of over 1,000 yards.
General manager Jason Licht gave an update on the contract talks between the Buccaneers and Evans.
“How recent was that? There was another one that said we were getting closer [laughs]. We’re working very hard on that. On both sides, both ends are, and trust me, we all want Mike.”
With the Buccaneers still working things out with Evans, the Washington Commanders might have to persuade him to play in Washington. It’s a tough sell, evident by their brutal grades in the NFLPA report card.
What Mike Evans Would Bring the Commanders
The Washington Commanders need a player of Evans’s caliber to help them speed up this rebuild. With a new head coach in Dan Quinn and an expected rookie quarterback, Evans would make things much easier for everyone.
As the Commanders enter the offseason, adding veteran type of talent should be a priority. A rookie quarterback needs as much help as they can get and with whoever they draft facing an immense amount of pressure to be the franchise quarterback, the Commanders need to put them in a position to succeed.
Evans, regarded as one of the best wide receivers in football, would give them exactly that.