The NFL free agency legal tampering period begins on March 11th and teams across the league will be looking to improve their team, whether it is one position or multiple positions. When it comes to the Arizona Cardinals, general manager Monti Ossenfort will have $56.8 million to work with, with only six teams that have more money than him.
One position of need for the Cardinals is wide receiver, especially if Marquise Brown signs elsewhere. The Cardinals do not have power on the outside for Kyler Murray and they will need to find a way to surround him with great playmakers and one big name pending free agent is reportedly going to be testing out free agency.
Mike Evans has been an all-star caliber player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For the past decade, Evans has consectuvie 1,000+ receiving yards with inconsistency at the quarterback position for a majority of the time. Going from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield did not affect Evans' production in 2023 as Evans finished the season with 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. At 30 years old, Evans is still playing like he is in his prime.
According to Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini, Evans will plan on testing out the free agency market for the first time in his career, with a possibility to returning to Tampa Bay still being on the table. Ossenfort needs to do what he can to recruit Evans to the desert and provide a stable number one option for Murray.
According to spotrac.com, Evans' market value is set for $23.8 million which makes sense for a player that has been the definition of consistent throughout his career. Not only would Ossenfort be able to pair Murray with a veteran playmaker, but they will have the chance to then draft one of the top receivers in the NFL draft like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Imagine a Cardinals offense with Murray, Evans, and Harrison/Nabers. That would be a great way to start the bounce back from the 2023 season.