Tom Brady, Mike Evans among NFL’s most team-friendly contracts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are well aware that their favorite team employs one of the best front office staffs in the entire NFL, from general manager Jason Licht on down.
A new list from Pro Football Focus that ranks the most team-friendly contracts in the league heading into the 2022 season is further proof.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans takes the No. 2 spot on the list, an absolute bargain as one of the most consistently dominant pass-catchers in the game.
Here’s PFF’s Brad Spielberger on what makes Evans’ deal such a steal for Tampa Bay:
Evans is entering Year 9 of his NFL career and has still yet to record fewer than 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He’ll play the entire 2022 campaign at just 29 years old, younger than recently extended Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp despite entering the league three years earlier. Since 2014, Evans has generated 3.33 Wins Above Replacement, trailing only Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and Antonio Brown among wide receivers.
Evans is no longer even the highest-paid wide receiver on his own team, with Chris Godwin signing a three-year, $60 million extension this offseason — one of 16 wide receivers who now earns more annually. While Evans has made it clear he cares more about winning, going so far as to explore ways to create room for others to get their deals, he more than deserves a new contract.
Evans’ quarterback, Tom Brady, also cracks the top 10 on this list, coming in at No. 8. Even at 44 years old, going into his 23rd NFL season, the GOAT is still playing as well as any quarterback in the league, making his current cap hit look incredibly low.
Here’s what Spielberger had to say about Brady’s deal:
Brady un-retired this offseason after just over a month, returning to a loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster and under a contract that is still a massive bargain for a soon-to-be 45-year-old. Brady led the NFL with 5.12 Wins Above Replacement generated in 2021, and his 90.8 passing grade trailed only Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Brady’s 5,316 passing yards also led the NFL, as did his 41 big-time throws. His 1.9% turnover-worthy play rate was the second-lowest across the league. Even in his mid-40s, Brady remains one of the league’s best quarterbacks week in and week out — no matter which statistic you choose to observe.
Licht and his stellar staff have been among the league’s best at finding creative ways to maximize their cap space and extend their Super Bowl window as wide as possible.
Having two of the league’s best players on such comparatively cheap deals is just one of many examples of how Tampa Bay’s front office is setting the bar high in terms of team-building across the NFL.
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