Mike Evans gets new tattoo commemorating NFL Draft selectionBy Sean Wagner-McGough CBS SportsJuly 27, 2015 1:33 pm ET 
Back in May of 2014, Mike Evans, a receiver out of Texas A&M, was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Buccaneers, fresh off a season that landed them a top-10 pick, used that pick on Evans to bolster a receiving corps that already featured Vincent Jackson.Just over a year later and after a rookie season that saw him tear up the field, Evans has a new tattoo. And this tattoo will probably help him remember just how much potential the Buccaneers thought that Evans had before he even stepped onto the field for the team.Here's Evans' new ink, which makes it pretty clear when he was drafted last year.
(Instagram: [member=1102]mikeevans[/member]) Evans' rookie season saw him catch 68 passes for 1,051 yards, and 12 touchdowns -- and that was with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon throwing him passes. Now, with No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston quarterbacking the Buccaneers, there's a chance that Evans' career could take off even further.Why Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Is Primed for Bigger Things in 2015 By Luke Easterling Jul 27, 2015 
AP Images When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft on Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, many believed he could be a quality No. 2 receiver while developing into an eventual replacement for veteran Vincent Jackson.Instead, Evans snatched the torch from Jackson’s hand halfway through his rookie season, establishing himself as not only the most explosive playmaker on the team, but also one of the most promising young pass-catchers in the league.When the 2014 season wrapped, Evans had hauled in 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and a franchise-record 12 touchdowns despite missing a game due to injury. The 6’5”, 231-pound receiver went on a tear to begin the second half of the season, racking up 21 catches for 458 yards and five touchdowns over a three-game stretch in November.When a rookie makes such a splash, it’s easy to expect a dip in production the following season. But there are a few reasons why Bucs fans shouldn’t expect a sophomore slump from Evans.Why will Evans put up even bigger numbers in 2015? Let me count the ways.The Jameis FactorThe gaudy numbers Evans put up last season are impressive enough without any context. But when you consider the quarterback situation he was forced to deal with in his rookie year, his stats become even more incredible.Heading into the 2014 season, Tampa Bay looked to have a serviceable veteran under center in Josh McCown, who had been signed to a two-year deal and billed as a solid decision-maker who wouldn’t lose games with costly turnovers. Instead, McCown threw 14 interceptions to just 11 touchdowns, completing just over 56 percent of his passes in 11 games.
Leon Halip/Getty Images Even with inconsistent quarterback play, Evans hauled in a franchise-record 12 touchdown receptions in 2014. McCown missed time with an injury to his throwing hand, and while replacement Mike Glennon played better than the veteran in his stead, the younger quarterback still lacked the arm strength and confidence to take full advantage of his rookie playmaker.Enter Jameis Winston.The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Winston is the kind of gunslinging field general who isn’t afraid to throw the ball up and let his receiver make a play. Willing to pull the trigger even to a fault, Winston is likely to make his share of mistakes and force the ball into spots he shouldn’t, but his willingness to take chances down the field will only help Evans.If Evans can put up the numbers he did as a rookie with McCown and Glennon throwing him the ball, there’s no reason he can’t see a jump in production with Winston chucking the ball in 2015.An Offensive CompassLast year, the Lovie Smith era in Tampa Bay was supposed to be accompanied by the NFL debut of longtime college offensive guru Jeff Tedford, whom Smith had handpicked to run his offense.But after training camp had built high hopes around Tedford’s plans for speed in space on offense, the former Cal head coach took a leave of absence from the team to deal with medical issues just before the start of the regular season.
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images Evans put up huge numbers as a rookie despite the abrupt departure of offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. But Tedford never returned to the Tampa Bay sideline, officially parting ways with the team after the season and moving on to coach in the CFL.Tedford’s absence was crippling for the Bucs offense, which struggled to find an identity all year long. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo handled play-calling duties on game day, but his inexperience was painfully obvious, as was the disorganization the entire unit was left in without the conductor of the offense it had spent all offseason and training camp learning.This year, it should be a night-and-day difference for the Bucs offense, which now has Dirk Koetter calling the shots. A coordinator with a proven track record of success with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons, Koetter has generated productive offenses at the NFL level for years, and he gives the Bucs the experienced play-caller and schematic stability they sorely lacked in 2014.The impressive numbers Evans put up last season are even harder to believe when you consider the disarray the offense was in as a whole. Spending all of training camp digesting his first NFL offense only to have the rug ripped out from under him could have had a devastating impact on his development.
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images With an experienced offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter and a new quarterback in Jameis Winston, Evans should put up even bigger numbers in 2015. Instead, Evans’ natural talent overcame the patchwork plans of the offensive staff, and he proved he has the skills to be a dominant target who commands extra attention from opposing defenses.This year, with the stability Koetter brings to the table, Evans should feel more comfortable in his assignments and more prepared to make big plays. Koetter’s system loves to attack opposing defenses vertically, which should give Evans plenty of chances to stretch the field and make big plays this season and beyond.Training with the BestIt would be easy for Evans to look at his stat line from the 2014 season and think he’s already made it as a dominant receiver at the NFL level.Yeah, right.Instead, Evans is already pushing himself to be even better in his sophomore campaign, spending time training this offseason with one of the greatest playmakers to ever strap on a pair of receiving gloves: six-time Pro Bowler Randy Moss.Evans knows there’s plenty he can draw from the future Hall of Fame receiver, both physically and mentally, per Joe Kania of Buccaneers.com:“ He’s still just as explosive as he always was. We were doing drills and I couldn’t catch him running around the cones. We were just talking about the league. He was just telling me stories that any fan would want to know about one of their favorite players. It was pretty much just his knowledge of the game and some stories of what he’s been through.I think he’s the best to ever do it. Working with him, I think it will take my game to the next level.”Though Evans lacks the elite straight-line speed and acceleration Moss possessed, he still has plenty of similarities to the fellow first-round pick. He has similar height and leaping ability to Moss, with a level of competitiveness and work ethic that could truly allow Evans to develop into one of the league’s best at the position.It’s still early and Evans has plenty to learn, but it appears he’s already looking for answers in the right places and taking full advantage of the offseason to take his game to the next level.link
