Mike Evans
Mike Evans seems to know something a lot of fans don’t. And he let a squirt of the toothpaste out of the tube.
Like every good receiver known to planet earth, Evans wants the rock, though he won’t cry and pout if he doesn’t get it.
This season, Evans expects more targets.
That was his message to Kay Adams of FanDuel TV. Evans, filled with smiles and giggles during his Adams sitdown, made it clear that the Bucs change to Josh Grizzard at offensive coordinator suits him.
“It’s basically the same offense but with his new wrinkles, and I like those new wrinkles,” Evans said of Grizzard.
Adams fired back and asked what those new wrinkles will do. “Potentially get me the ball a little bit more, yeah,” Evans said with a smile in his voice.
So last year Evans averaged 7.85 targets per game played. That was down from 8.0 targets per game with Dave Canales in 2023, and 8.46 with Byron Leftwich in 2022.
Evans averaged a shade under 7.0 targets per game during the 2020 and 2021 seasons after 9.07 targets per game in 2019, the first year of Bucco Bruce Arians with Jameis Winston at quarterback.
Evans, Todd Bowles and the Bucs’ data gurus should know that less than 8.5 targets per game for Evans (when he’s available) will make it hard for Evans to reach the 1,000-yard plateau everyone at One Buc Palace wants him to acheive. That would set the all-time record of 12 consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards.
Evans already said he wants to break the record early, as in not close to Week 18.
Joe thinks the Bucs need to make sure Evans gets plenty of touches and yards early. That’ll take lots of pressure off a rookie playcaller, spare Evans from distractions, and get the damn record out of Baker Mayfield’s head in potentially critical late-season games.