Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What to expect from Mike Evans in 2017?
Mike Evans is ready to continue lighting up the NFL in 2017 as he helps the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the next step.
Much ado has been made about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wide receiving corps and how deep it is. With ample targets for quarterback Jameis Winston to throw the ball to, the Tampa Bay passing game may be in for a big year. At the center of it all is explosive playmaker Mike Evans.
A former Texas A&M Aggie, Evans had a tremendous season in 2016. Catching 96 passes for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns, those numbers were all career-highs. His receiving yards were good enough for No. 4 in the NFL and also earned him the first Pro Bowl berth of his career. Making the Pro Football Focus All-Pro First Team as well as the Associated Press All-Pro Second Team, he was certainly recognized for his stellar play.
His best game of the 2016 campaign came on Sept. 25 against the Los Angeles Rams. In that contest, he was targeted 14 times, catching 10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. That performance was one of four games in which he totaled at least 100 yards. The other three occurrences came on Nov.3 against the Atlanta Falcons (150 yards), Kansas City Chiefs (105 yards) and the Seattle Seahawks (104 yards).
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Within the division,there is talent abound at the position. Evans used the 2016 season to cement himself among the best in that division, as well as among the best in the entire NFL.
What can we expect from Mike Evans in 2017?
What can we expect from Evans in 2017? I would say a season similar to last year would be an appropriate guess. There is no denying the Buccaneers have more talent offensively than last year, with multiple cataclysmic receivers to throw to. Even still, I would expect Evans to be the centerpiece of this offense. He is a seasoned veteran within the Tampa Bay offense, and has become one of Jameis Winston’s favorite targets over the years.
This season, he will presumably face top competition. In particular, facing the New York Giants, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals will be a tough stretch. This is partly due to the fact that Evans may have to face Eli Apple, Malcolm Butler/Stephon Gilmore and Patrick Peterson three weeks in a row.
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With that in mind, I would say 90 passes for 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns would be a good estimate for Evans. Barring any injury, a Pro Bowl berth should be in his future. He is still one of the most potent, athletic receivers in the NFL and a dependable go-to wideout.