Early talks with Mike Evans?
Well, well, well. Seems former Bucs great and 49ers general manager John Lynch and/or 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan may have been up to a little hijinks courting Mike Evans.
Per the NFL, teams are not allowed to speak with prospective free agents about future employment until the starting gun sounds for the beginning of legal tampering, which was noon Eastern time yesterday.
Former Bucs running back Shady McCoy, speaking on his weeknight show “Speakeasy,” said he was chilling with Evans at Evans’ crib over the weekend and Evans tipped off Shady that it was a real possibility he was going to San Francisco.
And not to eat seafood and sourdough bread.
“I was actually at his house Saturday,” Shady said. “And we talked about free agency. And he didn’t tell me he’s going to the Niners. But he said, ‘Yo, there is a great possibility I’m going to the Niners.’
“He was like, ‘Oh, I like them.'”
Now, does Joe expect NFL warden Roger Goodell to come down on the 49ers? Nah. That’s a glory franchise. Can’t tarnish their shield. The Bucs? Pppffftt. Who cares?
To be fair, one of the many reasons Joe goes to the combine is because the foundation of future contracts, trades and, yes, free agent signings, are consummated over bourbon and steaks at St. Elmo, beers in various hotel lobbies and the many nooks and crannies of the gargantuan Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.
Still, it irks Joe that Evans basically seemed to have everything worked out with the 49ers days before legal tampering began. Man, he really wanted out of here. smh
(Hat tip: Chris Mathis of WDAE-AM 620/FM 95.7.)
So, LeSean McCoy was hanging out with Mike Evans at Mike’s house on Saturday and he mentioned to LeSean that “there is a great possibility I’m going to the 49ers.”#WeAreTheKrewepic.twitter.com/fck4YqAhdG
— Christopher Mathis 🎙 (@thechrismathis) March 10, 2026