Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport X account this week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to SR each week via X using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

STATEMENT: As much as it would hurt to cut Chris Godwin Jr., I’m wondering what it would cost the Bucs – and if it would be an option if it came down to choosing between Mike Evans and Godwin. I would rather a productive receiver in Evans than a receiver who probably shouldn’t be making this much money.

ANSWER: A report from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones on Sunday suggests Mike Evans’ career as a Buccaneer is all but over. Pewter Report has heard conflicting reports from its various sources, although the Bucs are bracing for the possibility that Evans does leave to play elsewhere. To answer this question, I certainly understand the sentiment, and I agree with the premise of your statement. Evans has always been the better wide receiver – from the past to present day – in Tampa Bay.

That’s no slight to Chris Godwin Jr., as he’s literally the second-best receiver in franchise history. However, at age 30 and coming off a very modest 33-catch, 360-yard, two-touchdown season following two surgeries for a broken and dislocated ankle, there’s no assurance that Godwin will return to his previous form in 2026.

To be frank, Godwin needs to prove he can get back to being a 1,000-yard receiver for how much money he’s set to make in 2026, which is a hefty $22 million. If Evans is going to re-sign with Tampa Bay it could very well be in the $20-$25 million range (the Bucs would prefer $20 million). Is there enough cap room for both receivers in red and pewter? Yes, but likely for only one year.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The problem is that the Bucs can’t really rid themselves of Godwin this year in order to ensure that the team can re-sign Evans. Godwin’s $22 million base salary is fully guaranteed. There likely isn’t a team out there that is willing to pay $22 million for Godwin coming off a sub-400-yard season. I realize New England was actually going to pay him more last year, but they are probably glad they didn’t sign him last year given his sub-par production and the fact that he had a fibula injury in Week 6 upon his return to action.

The only team that might be interested in trading for Godwin is Las Vegas, which needs to spend roughly $100 million in free agency to reach the NFL spending floor, as mandated by the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s after trading defensive end Maxx Crosby and his $30 million salary, which comes off the books. So acquiring Godwin for a draft pick (likely a mid-rounder) would make sense for that reason, in addition to giving rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza a quality veteran receiver to throw to – and a great worker and leader to boot.

That’s one possibility – albeit not likely to happen. However, if the Bucs can’t land Evans in free agency, the team won’t part ways with Godwin. There’s no way losing Evans and parting ways with Godwin would happen this year. In 2027? Sure, if Godwin doesn’t rebound and play like a star receiver this season. But Tampa Bay wouldn’t want to weaken the receiver position with the departure of Evans and Godwin in the same offseason. That’s too much pressure on young receivers Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson.

QUESTION: With the way last year ended, along with so many holes on defense, how can anyone be mad at Mike Evans for wanting to look around? He is an amazing person and player. He deserves to write the ending to his story, doesn’t he?

ANSWER: Yes, he does. Mike Evans has had 12 fantastic seasons in Tampa Bay. He’s personally witnessed Tom Brady leave New England and win a Super Bowl with the Bucs the next season. Brady was an icon with the Patriots and became an instant legend in Tampa Bay, too. A situation like that might be appealing to Evans if he truly wants to chase another Super Bowl ring and doesn’t believe that might happen with the team that drafted him.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bob Donnan

While general manager Jason Licht said that all options were on the table when I asked him at the NFL Scouting Combine if he felt the team could put the franchise tag on Evans, I don’t think that would happen. Licht has too much respect and appreciate for Evans to essentially hold him hostage and force him to play in red and pewter if he truly wants to leave.

I hope Evans stays in Tampa Bay, and with Buffalo trading for D.J. Moore instead of opting to sign Evans in free agency, I think there’s a slightly better than 50-50 chance he remains with the Bucs now, especially with teams like Cleveland, Tennessee and Las Vegas being the known suitors for the six-time Pro Bowler. Now if Buffalo re-emerges as a possibility or teams that are considered to be more of a Super Bowl contenders, such as San Francisco, New England or the Los Angeles Chargers, emerge it could alter Tampa Bay’s chances of re-signing him.

STATEMENT: If Mike Evans is out, I’m out, too. The owners chose to keep Todd Bowles, and Evans knows Bowles is not capable of leading a team to the Super Bowl.

ANSWER: We’ll ultimately see if Mike Evans leaves Tampa Bay in just a few days – or if he re-signs. On Sunday, Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, said that his client will be exploring his options in free agency. That doesn’t mean that Evans won’t end up choosing to re-sign with the Buccaneers. That remains a possibility. But there is a chance that he could opt to sign with another team because he doesn’t seem ready to do a contract extension with Tampa Bay prior to the start of free agency.

Free agency is a two-way street and I don’t think that Evans’ decision will be solely based on money. Evans is expected to receive a competitive offer from Tampa Bay. The Bucs supposedly will get the opportunity to match Evans’ top offer if he wants to give Tampa Bay that chance. But should Evans choose to go elsewhere it very well could be that he doesn’t believe that Todd Bowles can fix the defense and take it from a below average unit to at least a good unit.

Or, to your point, Evans may not think that Bowles is capable of leading Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl. In eight years as a head coach – both with the Jets and the Bucs – the most wins he’s ever put up is 10. He did that in 2015 in New York and in 2024 in Tampa Bay. And Bowles is just 1-3 in the playoffs.

It will be interesting to hear Evans’ reasoning if he does choose another team over the Bucs as he gets ready to play his 13th season at age 33. Not only would Bucs fans be upset if Evans goes elsewhere, but they would be livid at the Glazers, who decided to keep Bowles, who is a very unpopular coach with fans right now.

STATEMENT: I know Rachaad White is out the door, and there is the possibility of Tyler Allgeier due to his association with Zac Robinson. But I’m fascinated with Washington’s Chris Rodriguez Jr. He had six TDs last year with majority as a goal line back, plus a 4.5-yard average behind a mediocre O-line. Has some decent burst as well. 

ANSWER: Like Tyler Allgeier, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a big back, listed at 5-foot-11, 224 pounds. The former sixth-round pick is a good goal line and short yardage back, rushing for 500 yards and scoring six touchdowns last year. But where he might fall short in terms of Tampa Bay’s plans at running back is his lack of third down value. Rodriguez is a restricted free agent.

Rachaad White was a tremendous pass protector and a great receiver out of the backfield. Whatever running back the Bucs sign to replace White needs to have some real third down value. Rodriguez had three catches for 30 yards last year, and only has six career catches for 54 yards in his time in Washington. What’s also concerning is that Rodriguez is not a good pass protector, evidenced by his 47.7 Pro Football Focus pass pro grade last year and his 29.5 pass pro grade in 2024.

Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier Photo by: USA Today

That’s what has to make Tyler Allgeier so appealing to the Buccaneers. In four seasons in Atlanta, Allgeier posted 61 catches for 516 yards (8.5 avg.) and two touchdowns. Allgeier earned a 90.3 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023 and had a 70.7 pass block grade last year. Plus, Allgeier is a far more accomplished runner with 1,035 rushing yards as a rookie in 2022, followed by two 600-yard seasons in 2023-24 and a 500-yard season last year backing up Bijan Robinson.

QUESTION: How do you feel about these moves, Scott? Restructure Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wirfs, and Luke Goedke. Priority 1: re-sign Mike Evans. Then sign Trey Hendrickson, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd and re-sign cornerback Jamel Dean. Those equal $70 million of cap space.

ANSWER: I’m not even sure if those moves could only take up $70 million in cap space. Feels like it would be much more. But this is not about the salary cap. This is about the cash the Bucs have left to spend this year. That’s the actual money that will be paid to free agents in cash during the 2026 season.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Re-signing Mike Evans would likely cost somewhere around $20 million. He’ll receive that money this year – even if he signed a two-year deal and lowered his cap hit for 2026. Trey Hendrickson could possibly receive somewhere between $25 million to $32 million this year – in cash. For example, signing Evans for $20 million and Hendrickson for $25 million would leave the Bucs with about $5 million left to spend in free agency.

Bucs fans expecting anything close to this kind of haul in free agency are going to be woefully disappointed. Expect a reasonably big signing or two – Evans would be included in this scenario – and then a lot of lesser value signings by general manager Jason Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg because the defense has so many holes.