{"id":826157,"date":"2026-03-22T01:16:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T01:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/826157\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T01:16:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T01:16:40","slug":"nothing-jason-licht-could-have-done-joebucsfan-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/826157\/","title":{"rendered":"Nothing Jason Licht Could Have Done – JoeBucsFan.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Reflection.<\/p>\n

When Bucs AC\/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht agreed to a sitdown with a handful of local reporters yesterday at One Buc Palace, he was generally in a chipper mood, as he often is.<\/p>\n

That mood quickly turned sullen when Licht got down to the subject at hand: Licht had agreed to discuss the departure of the best offensive player the Bucs ever drafted, Licht\u2019s very first draft pick, Mike Evans.<\/p>\n

Of course, Evans is off to San Francisco, despite how much he professed love for the Bucs and how much he admired (per Licht) the Bucs\u2019 wide receiver corps and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.<\/p>\n

Licht was peppered with all sorts of questions when he was asked, looking back at the drama, could he have done something different to keep Evans (other than slapping him with the franchise tag)?<\/p>\n

Licht sounded like Evans had made up his mind and it was over. Despite Licht admitting \u2014 in his first offer to Evans\u2019 camp \u2014 that he made a \u201csignificantly\u201d higher bid. Licht\u2019s sales pitch was all for naught.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Licht said about doing something different to keep Evans in Tampa Bay. \u201cI feel like we did everything we could.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of talks with Mike about that. He and I have a very good relationship. When a player has reached his level for as long as he has, you tend to have deeper discussions with those players.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was basically nothing we could have done differently. I feel strongly about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is just weird to Joe. Maybe because Joe is trying to apply logic to something that is emotional. As the great Sage of Tampa Bay Sports, Ira Kaufman, is famous for saying, \u201cWho turns down money?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike Evans, apparently.<\/p>\n

He took a multi-million dollar haircut to play for a lesser team (the Bucs beat the 49ers last year without Evans) in a 13.3 percent income tax state (based on Evans\u2019 salary). He left a team he claimed to love and stated how impressed he was with their wide receiver room.<\/p>\n

Logically, this just doesn\u2019t add up. Something chased Evans away from Tampa Bay and\/or lured him to San Francisco.\u00a0And no, Joe doesn\u2019t believe Evans made this move just so he could sleep on a bed on a plane<\/a> eight times this fall.<\/p>\n

Joe wonders how that absurd road schedule<\/a> the 49ers have this year will work with Evans\u2019 old hamstrings?<\/p>\n

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