Mike Evans Stays in Tampa, What Does It Mean for KC’s WR Plans?
Free agency hasn't even officially kicked off, and the Kansas City Chiefs may already need to adjust their plans at wide receiver. Wide receiver Mike Evans will be staying in Tampa Bay after signing a new contract with the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter reports that Evans's deal is for two years and $52 million, with $35 million guaranteed.
After Evans signed, Schefter tweeted that "the Chiefs, amongst others, were expected to be interested." Dianna Russini of The Athletic also tweeted that the Chiefs (and seven other teams) "were hoping to land him in free agency."
How does Evans's new deal impact the Chiefs' plans at wide receiver? Arrowhead Report deputy editor Jordan Foote and I brainstormed where KC stands now and where they go next, without Mike Evans in the picture.
Joshua Brisco: I know I was a little more interested in Evans for the Chiefs at that price point than you were. Does the Chiefs' reported interest change anything for you? Why would that price tag have been too rich for your budget?
Jordan Foote: Evans was surely someone the Chiefs would have loved to bring in, although the price point does give me plenty of pause. $26 million per season puts him between Cooper Kupp and A.J. Brown in average annual value, which goes mostly against Kansas City's recent M.O. The Tyreek Hill "reset," trading a tier-one player, put them in a position to play in the second tier as far as high-dollar spending is concerned. Evans is great, but throwing $50M-plus (and heavy guarantees) at someone who will be 31 to start next season is simply, like you said, too rich for me.
Brisco: I can't argue with most of that, and I don't think the Chiefs would have been truly contending at two years/$52 million, but I do think Evans was the only high-priced top-end free agent wide receiver who did make sense for KC. The short-term deal would have limited long-term risk, and that's a gamble I would have been interested in, with Evans's consistency being a hallmark throughout his career. I don't necessarily think it's the way the Chiefs should have gone, but giving one bonafide No. 1 WR to Patrick Mahomes would have been a lot of fun, and Evans is the only one in this year's group who I think could have been worth the premium.
With Evans off the table, what class of free agent receiver do you think they'll look at next? I've already shown my hand: I don't think they're going after Calvin Ridley and certainly not trading for Tee Higgins on the franchise tag. (I don't think they would have signed him in free agency either, but I digress.)
Foote: I don't think we're too far off there. Evans, if the money was right, would've been a slam-dunk add. He rules. I'm with you on both Ridley and, of course, Higgins! Ruling out them and Michael Pittman Jr. for the sake of what's practical, the next tier(s) with Hollywood Brown, Darnell Mooney and Gabe Davis make sense for various reasons. Mooney, in particular, was pitched as a Chiefs target at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. The price tags there will vary a bit, but none project to break the bank.
What about potential value adds? Zack Eisen recently referenced Kendrick Bourne right here on Arrowhead Report, which would be a smart pickup. Do you have thoughts on someone like him, Josh Reynolds or maybe Cedrick Wilson? Will Odell Beckham Jr. or Michael Thomas outprice the Chiefs as big-swing but often-injured vets?
Brisco: I think the rest of that veteran-names-everyone-knows class, minus Evans, won't interest the Chiefs much. Brown and Mooney are probably my preferred options at their price points, but I do feel like I've been waiting to become a full-on Hollywood Brown convert for a while, and Mooney's best argument begins with "Well, when Matt Nagy was in Chicago...," so I'm not exactly in love just yet. The Chiefs have to plan on adding at least one steady veteran so second-year receiver Rashee Rice isn't the only surefire starter ahead of the NFL Draft.
