Latest news with #MikeEvans
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers projections: Will Mike Evans break 1,000 receiving yards?
2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers projections: Will Mike Evans break 1,000 receiving yards? At this point, betting against Mike Evans hitting 1,000 yards is like betting against the heat during a September game in Raymond James. Since entering the NFL in 2014, Evans has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards every single season, 11 years in a row. That ties Jerry Rice's all-time record, and in 2025, Evans has a chance to stand alone in that category. Considering his chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield and a favorable schedule, there's every reason to believe he'll do it again. Evans has a Favorable Schedule Tampa's 2025 opponents provide Evans with plenty of opportunities to shine. In Week 3, the Bucs face the New York Jets, who ranked 20th in pass defense last season and lost cornerback D.J. Reed in the offseason. That secondary should be vulnerable to Evans' downfield threat, especially with added artillery in the pass game. Week 4 brings the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished first in pass defense in 2024. However, they lost key defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, which could weaken their pass rush and allow Baker Mayfield more time to find Evans downfield. Week 6 is a home game against the San Francisco 49ers, whose 21st-ranked pass defense got even shakier this offseason after losing safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Charvarius Ward. Evans should have no problem finding soft spots in their secondary. The best matchup of all may come in Week 10 against the New England Patriots. They ranked 30th against the pass last season, and although they have added ex-Buccaneer Carlton Davis to pair with Christian Gonzalez, that game has all the makings of a 100-yard performance. He remains the Bucs' WR1 Despite entering his 12th season, Evans is still Baker Mayfield's No. 1 target. In 2023, the duo connected for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. With Chris Godwin drawing attention and young receivers in Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson adding depth, Evans will continue to see favorable coverage looks and red zone opportunities. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard inherits a top-five offense and will likely keep the system rolling with Evans as the focal point in critical moments. Combine that with Evans' contract-year motivation and the chance to break a Hall of Fame record, and you get a player with every reason to dominate again. Final Prediction: Mike Evans finishes the 2025 regular season with over 1,000 receiving yards, becoming the first player in NFL history with 12 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Receivers Room Ranks Tops in NFL
Buccaneers' Receivers Room Ranks Tops in NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers employed one of the best wide receiver rooms in 2024, and went out this offseason and made it even better. Advertisement That's music to the ears of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is coming off two consecutive career passing seasons after being written off by the league, and will now have Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka to throw to in addition to names like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton. Pro Football Focus does what it does best, and ranked the wide receiver rooms in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. While the Bucs tied with the Eagles for the top score, it gave the nod to the Eagles for some dumb reason. We'll ignore that part. "It was a coin flip between the Buccaneers and the Eagles for the top spot, as they earned equal 79.1 PFF receiving grades in 2024," Trevor Sikkema wrote. "But Philadelphia's top pass-catching options all placed ahead of their Tampa Bay counterparts in PFF's position rankings. The Buccaneers win the depth battle, though, as Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Rachaad White make for the deepest receiving corps in the NFL. Mike Evans (90.2), Chris Godwin (85.7) and Bucky Irving (90.5) were all top-15 players in PFF receiving grade among qualifiers at their positions in 2024." Advertisement The Bucs have all the offensive tools to be an elite unit in 2025 as long as new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard can keep the momentum going that Dave Canales and Liam Coen gained before him. Related: Glaring Weakness of Buccaneers' 2023 First-Round Pick Revealed Related: Buccaneers' Mike Evans Among NFL's Best at One Specific Route This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Mike Evans Among NFL's Best at One Specific Route
Buccaneers' Mike Evans Among NFL's Best at One Specific Route originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Mike Evans is fresh off his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tying Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's record, and is the only player to ever do it in the first 11 seasons of his career. Advertisement The former Texas A&M Aggies pass catcher strikes fear in the eyes of defenders each and every week thanks to his excellent route-running skills and pass-catching ability. But according to Lauren Gray of Pro Football Focus, Evans was best in the league last season at running the slant route. "Mike Evans generated a 15.8% target rate on slants last season, the second-highest clip in his route tree. Nearly every catch turned into a big play. He secured 16 of 18 passes for 187 yards (fourth most), with all but two catches going for first downs. Seven of his first downs came on late-down targets, where he secured each one for 92 yards. Evans hauled in two touchdown passes, recorded five gains of 15-plus yards and ranked fifth in yards gained after contact (45). "The 11th-year veteran has seen 54 slant targets over the past three seasons (fifth most), earning a 94.3 PFF receiving grade on those plays (tied for third best). He has caught 45 slants for 487 yards and 36 first downs across that span, all top-three figures." Advertisement Last season, offensive coordinator Liam Coen had a lot to do with spreading out the offense, and Evans benefited. Next year, Josh Grizzard will be calling plays and designing the offense, but isn't expected to deviate too much from what Coen started last year before he took the head coaching job in Jacksonville. Related: Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' Related: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Victim of Most Dropped Passes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mike Evans Praises Bucs' Rookie Wide Receivers
Mike Evans Praises Bucs' Rookie Wide Receivers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take a lot of pride in their wide receiver corps, but they have to admit that they are getting up there in age. Advertisement To remedy this fact, the Bucs selected Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as well as Oregon receiver Tez Johnson in the seventh round. Mike Evans knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a good wideout in this league, and he praised the team's rookies in a recent interview with the media. "That's been very fortunate for me and my career to be around a lot of great young players," Evans said. "They've added to the room tremendously." The Bucs also have Chris Godwin, but he is coming off of a gruesome injury in 2024, so it is good that the team decided to sure up their wide receiver room through this year's draft. Advertisement Tampa Bay finished tied for second in the NFL this past season in passing touchdowns with 41, so adding two guys who had 10 receiving touchdowns in their final season in college could put the team over the top on the offensive side of the ball. The Buccaneers have made the playoffs each of the last five seasons, so their rookie receivers will be looking to help them continue that trend. The difference is, they hope to push the team past the divisional round for the first time since 2020. Related: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Victim of Most Dropped Passes Related: Buccaneers' Draft Pick Among Rookies With Most To Prove This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cade Otton Turning Heads During Buccaneers' Workouts
Cade Otton Turning Heads During Buccaneers' Workouts originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Cade Otton may not be considered one of the best tight ends in football yet, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter has quickly become underrated around the league. Advertisement The 26-year-old has seen increases in both receptions and yards each year he has been in the league. The former fourth-round pick has quickly become a consistent receiving option for Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay's offense. Otton is already turning heads in Buccaneer offseason workouts in an important fourth season. More importantly, he's making things hard for some of his defensive teammates. "Cade, I am kind of sick of him right now," laughed inside linebacker Anthony Walker Jr on the team's website. "That is a real savvy route runner right there. Yeah, he got me a few times this offseason. So, I definitely have to get in my bag a little bit." Advertisement Star receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have gotten plenty of praise for their impact on Tampa Bay's passing offense. In many ways, Otton gets overlooked in the Buccaneers' offense. More importantly, he has also found a way to gain the respect of his quarterback in Mayfield. In his short career, Otton has played with Tom Brady and Mayfield. Even some of the better tight ends in history would beg for a chance like that. As he continues to develop his game, Otton has quickly gone from an afterthought to one of the key pieces in Tampa Bay's offense. He's in line for another career year at this point. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' Related: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Victim of Most Dropped Passes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
