The Detroit Lions have lived up to their lofty expectations so far this season, leading the NFC North and staying on pace to host their first playoff game in two decades.
The team could take an even bigger jump this offseason, with one insider predicting the team could make a run at four-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans to bolster the receiving corps and boost their Super Bowl odds. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran is set to head to free agency, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the Lions could be one of the top suitors.
Mike Evans Angling for Another Super Bowl
Knox predicted that there could be a number of teams interested in Evans, but the 30-year-old receiver might prioritize the chance to win a second Super Bowl title. If that’s the case, the Lions might be the best bet, Knox wrote.
“Whether he’s played with Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Mike Glennon, Evans has produced,” Knox wrote. “Even a team with a young quarterback like the Panthers, Titans or Colts would be fortunate to add Evans for a season or two.
“At this stage in his career, though, Evans may be looking to again taste the Super Bowl success he found with Brady.”
The Lions already have one of the league’s best slot receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, and adding Evans could create a “tremendous tandem,” Knox wrote.
Knox added that the Lions might not be the only Super Bowl contenders in the mix for Evans, who is in the final year of his five-year, $82.5-million contract.
Mike Evans Worked Toward Extension With Buccaneers
If the Lions do intend to make a run at Evans, it could be a difficult task. The reciever, who was drafted by the Buccaneers as the seventh overall pick in 2014, has expressed a desire to stay in Tampa beyond this season.
Evans publicly pushed for a new deal during training camp, but said he didn’t intend to hold out.
“I want to be in camp and practice to help Baker [Mayfield] get ready so we can win this year,” Evans said in a statement, via ESPN. “I don’t want to be a holdout and hurt our team.”
Evans’ representation, Day 1 Sports and Entertainment, released a statement in the days before the start of the season that he wanted to be a “Buc for life.”
“It’s rare for players to stay, especially this day and age, to stay on a team for as long as I have. I want to just finish here,” Evans said in the statement.
The agency added that they were continuing to work with the team until the regular season, and would then break off negotiations until after the season ended.
“We have been working on extending Mike’s career with the Bucs for over a year, and we want the fans to know this is not a tactic and the ball is in the owner’s court,” the agency said. “That said, we are giving the Bucs until the start of the regular season to make him a Buc for Life, and if that cannot happen, 100 percent of Mike’s focus will be on football and his future and where he can continue to make an impact.”
