History is calling Mike Evans, but other teams may soon be dialing, too

TAMPA — His career, like one of his routes, is best appreciated for its depth.

Ten years later, that’s what we’ve figured out about Mike Evans. It’s no longer enough to suggest he is one of the finest receivers in the NFL today, even if he was just named second-team All-Pro. The longer Evans runs, the closer he gets to overtaking some of the greatest receivers of all time.

How many wideouts have ever topped 11,600 career receiving yards? Less than three dozen. And how many from that group has caught at least 94 touchdown passes? Now, you’re down to 11. And how many pulled this all off by the age of 30?

Well, there’s Randy Moss. And Mike Evans. Guy named Jerry Rice was still 1,500 yards shy of making that cut.

So as much as you’ve watched, applauded and appreciated his performance through the years, know this about Evans: he is even better than you realized. His career, to this point, has been one of minimal drama and maximum results.

And now, his days in Tampa Bay may be hours from ending.

“I’ve thought about it, yeah,” Evans said standing beside his locker on Thursday. “That’s the reality. You have to think about all the possibilities.”

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He is a beneficiary, of course, of the modern passing game, but there has always been something old-school about Evans.

Maybe it’s the team-first attitude at a position that has been home to some of history’s greatest divas. Or being in the huddle for 95% of his games and more than 80% of the offense’s snaps across 10 seasons. Or it could be that image of a lone receiver running the deep posts while the rest of the world is catching slants and screens in today’s ball-control passing game.

Do you know how rare it is to average more than 15 yards per catch even after pulling down more than 700 receptions? In the last 10 years, only Evans, Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones kept up that kind of pace. It takes a rare combination of speed to get behind the secondary, and the size/wingspan to give quarterbacks margin for error on downfield routes. Evans and Johnson are 6-5. Jones is 6-3.

“How many guys have that kind of build? Calvin Johnson, D.K. Metcalf, Julio Jones. Bigger receivers who can run, make breaks, play physical, do it all,” said Bucs safety Ryan Neal. “It’s just a special combination but seeing someone like Mike be able to put all this raw ability together and turn it into this professional career is just a beautiful thing to see.

“The work that goes into this speaks for itself. It’s the consistency with multiple quarterbacks across multiple years. It’s a testament to his game, his career, his legacy. It’s just been outstanding.”

He’s caught touchdown passes from Mike Glennon to Baker Mayfield with Tom Brady, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown and Blaine Gabbert mixed in between. He’s been deployed by five offensive coordinators across 10 NFL seasons.

And still, his numbers are like a metronome. He’s never had a ridiculous breakout season like Johnson or Cooper Kupp or Tyreek Hill, and yet his overall numbers are comparable or better.

“He’s just an ultimate competitor, he’s exactly what you want,” offensive coordinator Dave Canales said. “He’s the guy that — whatever the stakes are and whatever the score is — he’s still striving to be his best, he’s still striving to score, to get open.

“The last time we played the Eagles, we finally got something going late in the game, we hit Chris (Godwin) close down on the goal line and the next thing you know we’re popping up a ball to Mike. He’d been like, ‘Guys, I’m ready to go, I’ll find a way to score.’ Just watching him battle, watching him continue to compete on every single down.”

This doesn’t happen by accident, of course. In a game that favors youth, Evans may be a better player at age 30 than he was at 25. He figured out earlier in his career that the extra weight he was carrying allowed him to outmuscle defensive backs, but it wouldn’t matter if he couldn’t get a step on them. So he cut his weight from 240 pounds to the 225-230 range.

“I’m obviously better than I was in my first three years because I have more explosion,” Evans said. “When I was 25, I could practice harder and longer but I’ve learned to slow down so I have more juice left for the games. I was stronger earlier in my career, now I’m faster, quicker, a little smarter.”

Smart enough to bet on himself this offseason when he didn’t get the contract offer he wanted from the Bucs. Evans shut negotiations down once the regular season began, and he will go into the spring as one of the top 15 free agents in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. He would almost certainly be an attractive target for his hometown Texans, who have a young quarterback and visions of taking a big step forward.

The Bucs would certainly want to keep him, but the salary cap remains an issue. They need to re-sign Mayfield, or find another quarterback. Tristan Wirfs is due for a big raise. They also have deals expiring with Antoine Winfield Jr., Lavonte David and Devin White.

If he’s sentimental about the possibility of leaving Tampa Bay, Evans doesn’t let it show. He’s focused on the Eagles game but as a guy who runs routes for a living, he recognizes that he’s got open field ahead of him.

“I always feel like I have something to prove, I always carry a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “But, yeah, I feel good where I’m at. Regardless of age, I feel like I’m at the top (of the free-agent class).”

Ten years and 154 games later, Mike Evans has never given you reason to doubt his commitment to winning.

Regardless of what happens down the road, you can count on that Monday night.

John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

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