Bucs make signings of Evans, Brate official

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that wide receiver Mike Evansand tight end Cameron Brate have each signed six-year contracts.

Evans (6-5, 231) was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. In his first four seasons with the team (2014-17), Evans started 60-of-61 games played, catching 309 passes for 4,579 yards and 32 touchdowns. During that time, he ranks sixth in the NFL in receiving yards, tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns and 10th in receptions. Evans has topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons, becoming one of only three players in NFL history to do so (also A.J. Green and Randy Moss).

A Pro Bowl selection in 2016, Evans had a career-best 96 receptions and 1,321 receiving yards, while tying his own franchise record with 12 receiving touchdowns. His 96 catches were the second-most in a single season in team history, while his 1,321 receiving yards ranked third. He ranked second in the NFL in touchdown receptions, fourth in receiving yards and sixth in receptions in 2016.

Evans has the second-most touchdown receptions in franchise history and ranks third in receiving yards and receptions. In his career, Evans has 13 100-yard receiving games, tied for the third-most in franchise history and the most ever by a Buccaneers player through his first four seasons. Evans is the first player in team history to have at least four seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards. His 4,579 receiving yards are the sixth-most through a players’ first four seasons since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.

A native of Galveston, Texas, Evans played collegiately at Texas A&M, where he earned first-team All-American honors and was a unanimous All-SEC selection. He and his wife, Ashli, recently launched the Mike Evans Foundation, which will develop a college scholarship program for graduating high school students from low-income families in need of financial assistance. Evans is the father of two daughters, Mackenzie and Ariah.

Brate (6-5, 245) originally joined the Buccaneers as a college free agent in 2014. Over the past four seasons, he has played in 50 games, with 20 starts, recording 129 catches for 1,556 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brate’s 17 touchdown catches are tied for the 10th-most in franchise history and are the third-most ever by Buccaneers tight end. He is tied for the sixth-most receptions by a tight end in franchise history and ranks sixth in receiving yards among Buccaneers tight ends. Among undrafted players in team history, Brate ranks third in receptions and second in receiving yards, while holding the record for touchdown catches.

Since the start of the 2016 season, Brate ranks third among NFL tight ends in touchdowns catches (14), while ranking 10th in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,251). His 14 touchdown catches are tied for the 12th-most in the league over the past two seasons. He has also been a reliable target on third down, catching 33 passes for a first down, the second-most in the NFL by a tight end and tied for the 11th-most overall during that span. In 2016, Brate had eight touchdown catches, tied for the NFL lead among tight ends and tied for the most by a tight end in a single season in Buccaneers history.

A native of Naperville, Illinois, Brate played collegiately at Harvard, where he was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection in each of his final two seasons.

This report comes courtesy of the Buccaneers Communications Department.