Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014 NFL Draft Review: Mike Evans Adds Another Zip Code
May 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans during the 2014 NFLPA Rookie Premiere at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their top two picks in the 2014 NFL Draft on Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, they had to create a new zip code in Florida to compensate.
With the 6’5″ Vincent Jackson already making plays for the Bucs, adding a huge weapon like Evans — who is also 6’5″ — as well as Seferian-Jenkins — who is 6’6″ — makes this offense a tough matchup for any team in the league, even the Seahawks, who have some of the biggest DBs in the league.
The addition of Evans and “ASJ” for Tampa also gives them a trio of receivers very similar to what Lovie Smith and company were building in Chicago when they traded for Brandon Marshall, signed tight end Martellus Bennett, and drafted receiver Alshon Jeffery.
The Bucs have some serious size at the skill spots, particularly guys who can catch the ball.
They also brought in 6’4″ Brandon Myers, a tight end who has been pretty productive in this league, and drafted one of the biggest tailbacks available in 2014 when they selected West Virginia’s Charles Sims in the third round.
In case you were wondering, one of the top college-to-pro comparisons for Charles Sims is Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears.
Do you get a sense of what this team is trying to do here?
The Bucs are becoming ‘Bears South’ and that’s not a bad thing. Chicago has compiled a group of playmakers offensively that provide a major size mismatch for opponents, and a quarterback that can get them the ball.
Did you also know that the Bucs’ projected starting quarterback is a guy who started for the Bears last year?
In addition to all the similarities, one of the first orders of business for this new Bucs regime was to sign 6-foot-7 defensive end Michael Johnson, formerly of the Bengals. The Bears made a similar move in 2010 when they went after Julius Peppers, also 6’7″.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch.
Still, the offensive comparisons are valid. The Bucs are trying to create an offensive attack that teams won’t be able to scout because their heads will be cut off by the camera. These guys are huge.
I love the strategy, and I think the Bucs have an interesting thing going here. Evans, Jackson, and ASJ each have a huge catch radius, and can snatch the ball out of the air. Good after the catch, dangerous in the red zone, and dominant in terms of size, Tampa has to be giddy about the strides their offense can make in a short amount of time.