FA Fits: Reinforcing the Receiver Room by Adding a Humongous (Future) Hall of Famer
K. Joudry
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Right now, the Vikings’ receiver room boasts some excellent talent. The issue is simply that they’re young, smaller, and there aren’t too many of them.
Enter Mike Evans, who is coming off of his tenth NFL season.
Back in 2014, Evans was chosen 7th overall after some exemplary play at Texas A&M. He stands at 6’5″ and weighs 231 pounds, so seeing him run a 4.53 forty is certainly notable. Mr. Evans has been creating headaches for NFL corners for a long time as a Buccaneer, but one wonders if his time in Tampa is nearing the end.
The Vikings Receiver Room and Mike Evans
Back in early September, ESPN reported that Mike Evans would be “testing free agency” after the season.
Take a look at the word from Jenna Laine: “Negotiations between the two parties had carried on for the past two years, with short- and long-term deals proposed to extend Evans’ time in Tampa, Florida, beyond 10 years, sources said. In fact, the length of the deal was less important than the guarantees for Evans, who emphasized the word ‘secure’ when discussing a new contract Thursday.”
She goes on to note that the Bucs’ lack of extension “has left an impression with the wide receiver,” suggesting that the veteran may be quite open to exploring other options.
Despite the issues with the contract, or lack thereof, Evans still put together a really impressive season. His 2023 featured 79 receptions, 1,255 yards, and 13 touchdowns. The 15.9 yards-per-catch average is super impressive, especially since he’s 30. Jefferson, 24, was sitting on a 15.8 yards-per-catch average in 2023. Again, impressive stuff from Evans.
At no point in his decade in the NFL has he ever dipped below 1,000 yards in a single season.
Back in Week 1, the veteran certainly did his part to help Tampa pull off the upset win inside U.S. Bank Stadium. He turned 10 targets into 6 receptions for 66 yards and a TD. Not extravagant numbers but enough to leave an impression.
Back in 2018, Evans signed a 5-year, $82.5 million deal. In fact, the only deals he has done are from his original rookie contract and then the extension he agreed to several years ago. Might he welcome a chance to explore free agency?
Something to keep in mind is that he plays mostly along the outside. Or, at least, that was the case recently. He picked up 687 snaps out wide and 237 in the slot last year. In Minnesota, Evans would be partnering with Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, a pair of smaller, younger players who can thrive coming out of the slot (while being pretty alright along the outside, as well).
If a deal for Evans actually materialized, then Kevin O’Connell’s job would be to bring it all together. A top trio of Jefferson, Addison, and Evans would be the envy of the NFL. Tossing T.J. Hockenson into the mix would just be unfair.
The Vikings wont be lacking for cap space but the roster has needs aplenty. And, no doubt, there are areas on the roster that need reinforcements much more than receiver (hello, edge rusher). But the Vikings are going to be looking to give themselves whatever advantage they can get.
Currently, they boast more skill than almost any other team in the league, so adding Mike Evans would only further entrench that reality. Plus, O’Connell has so far shown very little willingness to stick to the running game, instead preferring to pass and then pass some more. Keeping the cupboards full of tremendous pass catchers makes some sense.
The veteran pass catcher will turn 31 on August 21st. PFF predicts that a contract will come in at 3 years for a total of $69 million. If that’s even close to accurate, then Minnesota will be out of the running.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.