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The NFL offseason brings us a lot of interesting, albeit sometimes rage-inducing mock trades from analysts and fans alike. A team that stands pat will never find success, after all. Everyone is looking to find ways to improve their roster, fix some clear flaws on their roster, the like. Most of these trades are usually flawed, incredibly biased towards one team. One of these trades, however, seem to have some intrigue on both sides.
One of the trades suggested by Bleacher Report involves both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts. The trade sends star wide receiver Mike Evans to Indy for a pair of 2024 Day 2 picks (a second and a third-rounder). Let's grade this hypothetical trade from the lenses of both teams.
Trade from Buccaneers' Perspective
The Buccaneers are going to be bad in the 2023 season. There's no sugarcoating their situation right now. This team already looked like it was crumbling before Tom Brady's retirement. Now that the GOAT is out of the picture, things look bleak for Tampa Bay. Their starting quarterback will either be Kyle Trask or Baker Mayfield. It's that bad.
All signs are pointing to the Buccaneers entering a rebuild of some sort. Regardless, one of the first casualties of a Tampa Bay rebuild will be Mike Evans. The 29-year-old multi-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract this year. Keeping him around will cost the Bucs a ton of money, money that can be used to acquire younger players.
Maybe the Buccaneers can keep Evans around as a potential wide receiver for their starting quarterback next year. Even then, you don't know if said quarterback is going to be, well, good. It's also worth noting that Evans is nearing 30 years old, and paying a WR at that age is asking for trouble. If he falls off hard in the middle of his contract, it will be tricky to find him a new home. If the Bucs want to sell high on Evans, they must do so now.
Can the Bucs get more for Mike Evans in a trade? Yes, they probably could with the right circumstances. Maybe the Buccaneers can convince the Colts to fork over an extra Day 3 pick, who knows. Considering the haul that Davante Adams brought in last offseason, though, a second and a third-rounder feels right.
Grade: B
Trade from Colts' Perspective
Now this is where things get more interesting. The Colts, like the Buccaneers, are entering a rebuild. They just drafted Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick. Trading for an older receiver seems to not make sense at first glance. However, in this hypothetical, Indy will just be following a blueprint laid out by the Bills and the Eagles over the last few seasons.
Anthony Richardson is a physical force of nature. Just like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, the new Colts QB profiles as an elite dual-threat quarterback that can threaten in the run and pass game. However, Richardson's passing is still a complete work-in-progress, just like Allen. He's got an elite arm, and throws an absolutely beautiful deep ball. However, he has some issues working the short passing game.
This is where Mike Evans and the Bills and Eagles' blueprint come into play. Allen's play took a significant step forward when the Bills traded for Stefon Diggs in 2019. Since then, Allen has been one of the best QBs in the league. The same goes for Hurts, who found success when the Eagles traded for a top tier WR in AJ Brown. The Colts are hoping to take this one step further and give their rookie an elite WR1 in just his first season in the NFL.
It also happens that Evans would be a great fit for Richardson in Indianapolis. His size and athleticism makes him a ball magnet, as he's able to win contested catches regularly. Evans could cover up some of Richardson's mistakes as the rookie Colts QB learns the game. In addition, Evans is a fantastic deep ball threat due to his speed. He would join an underrated group of skill position players that include breakout WR Michael Pittman Jr and star RB Jonathan Taylor.
The only issue would be Evans' age. He's already 29 years old, and the 2022 season showed some signs of a decline from the Buccaneers WR. Wide receivers typically fall off at age 33, but the decline could happen slowly but surely. Still, it's a gamble that the Colts should try. They're already betting on Anthony Richardson outperforming expectations in Year 1: why not go ahead and throw another Hail Mary?
Grade: B+
