The beginning of free agency is still a few weeks away, but that won't stop players around the league from shooting their shot in an attempt to lure a new high profile teammate or two to town. Consider New England Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon one of the first this year who has done so publicly, calling on Patriots Nation to assist him in a sale pitch to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, Mike Evans.
What do we think of mr. 1000 @MikeEvans13_ to Pats nation????
— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) February 22, 2024
“Mr. 1000” references that Evans, a ten-year NFL veteran, has begun his career with ten consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. It's the longest such streak in NFL history. In addition to that eye-popping statistical nugget, it's also worth noting that Evans will enter his 11th NFL season with 94 career touchdowns. With six more TD's, Evans would become just the 25th player in NFL history with at least 100 touchdowns from scrimmage. Naturally, Patriots fans would love to see Evans reach that milestone while wearing a Pats uniform.
The Patriots won't be the only team in pursuit of Mike Evans this offseason. The Kansas City Chiefs are the current betting favorite to land Evans, and the Chicago Bears have been linked to the star wide receiver since the 2023 season was still ongoing.
One thing that both Chicago and New England have going for them is boatloads of cap space. Most cap projections show the Patriots going into free agency with somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 million of cap space, meaning New England would have more than enough space to sign Mike Evans along with a handful of others who could make meaningful improvements to a Patriots team that won just four games last season. The question from Mike Evans' side would likely be, “Well, who is playing quarterback?”
Patrick Mahomes resides in Kansas City, and that will be a large part of the sales pitch that the Chiefs would make. And even if the Bears wouldn't be able to officially select Caleb Williams until a month after free agency, knowing that the #1 pick in the draft is on the way could entice Evans. For New England, the quarterback picture isn't quite as clear. Will it be Drake Maye? Jayden Daniels? JJ McCarthy? Or maybe even Justin Fields?
Other teams that have plenty of cap space will be in the mix for Mike Evans too, and the Buccaneers likely won't let Evans walk without making an offer, but as of now, the Patriots are the only team who have had a member of the team out in the Twitterverse putting in hours as a recruiter.
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