One of the bigger acquisitions made during NFL free agency this offseason was the 49ers’ signing of six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans.
The Super Bowl champion, who spent the entirety of his 12-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, signed a three-year contract worth $60.4 million to join the 49ers. The addition has been heralded as a tremendous move by media members and fans, and 49ers players also like it.
The latest example of this was All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who raved about what Evans brings to the table on an episode of “The Real Ones” podcast.
“I think he fits right in,” Warner said. “I specifically remember meeting him like, officially, for the first time at the Pro Bowl a couple of years back. He was there and chopping it up with me and other guys there, who were with the 49ers, and he just seemed like our kind of guy. He seemed like he fit in, cool dude, obviously has been an elite receiver in our league for years and years. I know he still got juice left in the tank, and this is like a new challenge for him.”
It will be a challenge in a couple of different ways for Evans, as he was limited to just eight games this past season with Tampa Bay due to hamstring and collarbone injuries. In addition to proving he can withstand the grueling NFL schedule at 32 years old, Evans will also look to prove he can still be a top receiver.
This past season was the first of his career in which he didn’t record at least 65 catches, and it was also the first of his career that he didn’t hit the 1,000-yard mark.
If he can stay healthy, Evans immediately elevates what ended up being an injury-plagued and underwhelming wide receiver room this past season. Fans are trying to determine how much longer the 49ers’ window of contention is open, but the addition might be significant enough to extend it at least another season.
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