Maybe it is a long shot for the Arizona Cardinals, but if Tampa Bay Buccaneers' wide receiver Mike Evans does indeed hit the free agent market next month, there will be a great amount of teams who could reach out for his services. Cardinals' general manager Monti Ossenfort should be one of the executives that has his eye on this situation.
According to Jordan Schultz, the Buccaneers and Evans had the chance to get an extension done to avoid a $7.4 million dead cap hit but the Bucs ultimately failed to get it done today. With this, Evans gets closer to becoming a free agent in March. There is still a possibility of Evans returning back to the team that drafted him back in 2014, but the clock is ticking.
The Cardinals will need to closely monitor this situation
It goes without saying that the Cardinals will need whatever they can get at the wide receiver position. With Marquise Brown set to hit free agency, Arizona will be looking to explore the wide receiver market and it just got a little bit more interesting with this news about Evans and the Bucs.
In ten seasons with Tampa Bay, Evans has never went for less than 1,000 receiving yards and has double digit touchdowns in 5 seasons. He is a Super Bowl champion and a five time Pro Bowler. Not to mention, he did not have great quarterback play up until Tom Brady showed up in 2020. Even this past season with Baker Mayfield, Evans managed to bring in 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. Throughout the season, Evans averaged 16 yards per reception.
Should Evans officially become a free agent, Ossenfort should at the very minimum attempt to have a conversation with Evans. The Cardinals are in the top ten when it comes to cap space so money should not be an issue. However, expect Evans to get the bag whether it is from Tampa Bay or somewhere else.