The Buccaneers have three of the Top 15 players on PFT’s list of the 100 best free agents in the NFL: Antoine Winfield is No. 7, Mike Evans is No. 11 and Baker Mayfield is No. 15. The Bucs appear ready to keep Winfield by using the franchise tag, but they don’t want to see Evans or Mayfield go, either.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said today on NFL Network that both Mayfield and Evans are players the Bucs want to keep.
“It’s an extremely high priority, obviously,” Bowles said of keeping Mayfield. “We love Baker. Baker had a heck of a year. He fit right in with us all the way around. The chemistry was outstanding with him and all the receivers and the offense as a whole, so we hope to build on that. I understand the business side of it. Like I said, we like Bake and we hope things get worked out.”
Evans will turn 31 in August, but Bowles doesn’t think he’s slowing down.
“He had a career year last year,” Bowles said of Evans. “He’s been doing it for a decade now and obviously we want him to retire as a Buc and everything we’re trying to do, putting all our resources into signing him back as well because Mike is great for the community, he’s great for the team, he’s great for the guys and he’s a heck of a ball player.”
The Bucs have plenty of cap space, so they should be able to keep Winfield, Mayfield and Evans. And if Bowles is to be believed, the Bucs are ready to spend what it takes to keep them.
