New England Patriots should try and trade for this future Hall of Fame wide receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and WR Mike Evans seem to be at a bit of an impasse with a new contract extension. The New England Patriots should see if he's available in a trade. The one position on the roster that the Patriots have really had a hard time settling and finding top-end talent is at wide receiver.

The Patriots did add all of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kayshon Boutte, and Demario Douglas. They also recently signed Jalen Reagor to the practice squad, so you cannot say that they aren't trying to fix this position group. However, none of those players currently have proven to be a WR1 in the NFL, but that could change in 2023.

Well, if the Patriots want to keep all of their options open, they should consider looking at a future Hall of Fame wide receiver who currently resides in the NFC South. Rick Stroud reports that the contract talks between Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached an impasse, and there is an apparent deadline where these negotiations will stop:

"TAMPA — It appears Mike Evans will leave the Bucs much the same way he’s played for them: a bit undervalued but without much fuss.

With talks about a contract extension at an impasse, the greatest offensive weapon in club history is playing what likely will be his final season in Tampa Bay.

Evans is in the last season of a five-year, $82 million deal he signed in 2018.

Having turned 30 only 10 days ago, Evans and his representatives have made no progress with the Bucs on a new contract.

Evans is believed to be seeking a deal similar to the three-year, $80.1 million contract signed by Rams receiver Cooper Kupp that included $75 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus."

- Rick Stroud

The urgency seem to be high with these negotiations, and I bet if a contract isn't agreed to, Evans is traded at some point. He's entering his 10th season in the NFL and has had at least 1,000 yards in every season of his career. He's been the epitome of consistent and has also made four Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady in 2020.

Mike Evans' contract obviously expires at the end of the year, and with the Buccaneers likely heading towards a full rebuild at some point, it doesn't make sense to have a 30 year old like Evans in the picture, especially if they can get a decent haul for his services. To me, the Bucs should work to extend him because of how good he is, but should immediately angle towards a trade if a contract cannot be agreed to.

The New England Patriots should be all over this potential trade. Evans would immediately give the Patriots a true WR1 and would actually take this WR corps into one of the tops in the NFL. Having JuJu Smith-Schuster at the WR2 spot, and having guys like DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne fighting for the third WR role in the offense would be great for Mac Jones.