Bucs Re-Sign Mike Evans
On Friday, Mike Evans officially re-signed with the Buccaneers. The five-time Pro Bowler inked a two-year contract extension and will stay in Tampa Bay. Evans, one of the most prolific offensive weapons in league history, will continue writing his story donning a Bucs' jersey in 2024.
The A&M product has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his 10 career seasons – the longest-such streak in NFL history to begin a player's career, and the second-longest streak overall, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Evans' 10 total 1,000-yard receiving seasons tied Randy Moss (10) for the second-most in league history, trailing only Rice's 14. Through a player's first 10 career seasons, Evans ranks tied for fifth in touchdown receptions (94) and sixth in receiving yards (11,680). He is 1-of-4 players with 11,000+ receiving yards and 90+ touchdown receptions through 10 career seasons, along with a trio of Hall of Famers in Marvin Harrison, Moss and Rice. Evans also became the first player in league history to amass 60-or-more receptions in each of his first 10 career seasons.
Evans finished the 2023 season tied for first in touchdown receptions (13), while ranking ninth in receiving yards (1,255) on 79 receptions. He was one-of-four players last season with 1,000-plus receiving yards and 10-plus receiving touchdowns, joining CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Among players with 75-plus receptions this season, Evans finished third in yards per catch (15.9). Evans is the Buccaneers all-time leader in receptions (762), receiving yards (11,680), receiving touchdowns (94), scrimmage yards (11,690) and scrimmage touchdowns (94). He ranks fifth in team history in games started (153) and 10th in games played (154).
"He is the epitome of what you want in a draft pick, and he set the standard," described General Manager Jason Licht. "Every year, you want the first-round pick to set the standard for the class and [he did] for me. I have been chasing that standard for my staff every year and because of that, we have had some success every year. We won a Super Bowl, and we are in contention to chase another one, compete for another one and to win another one because of Mike. That is what Mike has meant to me."
Evans consistently commands double teams and generates separation. He possesses a lethal release package, effective stutter step and tempo variations to beat defensive backs. Evans utilizes his 6'5" frame to attack the catch point and his long strides to pick up yards after the catch. He has created an unprecedented career underneath the lights and will vie to continue his streak of dominance in 2024 for Tampa Bay.
Bucs Place Franchise Tag on Antoine Winfield Jr.
The Buccaneers announced on Tuesday that they applied the franchise tag to Antoine Winfield Jr. The tag will serve as a placeholder until both sides can reach a long-term extension. Winfield Jr. posted a historical season on the gridiron, setting the tone in Tampa Bay's secondary. He earned first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors for his contributions in 2023 and amassed 122 tackles, 12 passes defensed, eight quarterback hits, 6.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions last season – all of which established new career highs. Winfield Jr. became the first player since data became available in 1999 to finish a season with 100-plus tackles and at least three interceptions, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and sacks in a single season.
Winfield Jr. concluded the year with a share of the league lead in both forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, joining Haason Reddick (2022) as the only players to accomplish that feat since at least 2000. He was also the lone defensive back since 2000 with 6.0-plus sacks and six-or-more forced fumbles in a season, and the lone defensive back with seven-or-more takeaways and 5.0-plus sacks.
Among defensive backs in 2023, Winfield Jr. finished first in sacks (6.0), first in forced fumbles (six), first in fumble recoveries (four), tied for third in takeaways (seven) and third in quarterback hits (eight). Winfield Jr. led the NFL in most games with a takeaway and a sack in 2023, with four-such performances.
Since entering the league in 2020, Winfield Jr. leads all defensive backs in sacks (15.0), quarterback hits (21), forced fumbles (11) and fumble recoveries (eight). He also ranks tied for seventh in takeaways (15). Among all players, Winfield Jr. leads the NFL since 2020 with 19 combined forced fumbles plus fumble recoveries.
The standout in Tampa Bay spearheaded the team's defensive efforts in 2023 with instinctual play sideline-to-sideline. The twitchy athlete takes effective pursuit angles to the ball. Winfield Jr. has the awareness and range to man the post as a single-high free safety and the downhill trigger to collapse the pocket on blitzes. He single-handedly forced offenses to adjust protections and wreaked havoc down the stretch.
