Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Evans' 2024 free agency contract projection

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Josh Queipo | Last updated Jan 22, 2024 11:29 AM ET

The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.

NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.

We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.

So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Mike Evans.

Mike Evans 2024 Contract Projection

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Evans attempted to get a contract extension before the 2023 season kicked off. He reportedly wanted a deal in the neighborhood of Cooper Kupp’s three-year $80.1 million deal. With plenty of indicators that Evans was declining, the Bucs opted to let him play out the final year of his deal. Evans proceeded to put up his best season in six years. The gambit will pay off for Evans, who will get his wish of approaching (although not exceeding) Kupp’s deal.

Evans ranked top-10 in receiving yards and yards per route run and top-15 in yards per catch and average depth of target while leading the league in receiving touchdowns. Evans is able to act as an ‘X’ receiver volume target while simultaneously still operating as one of the best deep targets in the NFL. An underrated route runner, he was able to display those skills better in 2023 operating in offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ system while setting a career-high in yards after catch.

At 31-years-old, Evans won’t be able to secure a deal of more than three years, but he will be able to maximize his per-year compensation, moving into a tie with A.J. Brown for the fourth-highest APY among wide receivers.

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
3 yrs $75.0M, $25.0M APY, $55M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $11.0 million

Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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