The Buccaneers have been the subject of a lot of optimism this offseason after following a 9-7 2016 season with moves to add players like DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard to the offense.
Some members of the team are more than willing to fuel the hype. Linebacker Kwon Alexander said “this year it’s gonna happen” when talking to the media on Thursday, for example, but wide receiver Mike Evans isn’t going that route.
Evans gets why people are buying into the team’s chances, but wants some substance before jumping to any conclusions about where this season is going.
“We haven’t won anything,” Evans said, via ESPN.com. “We haven’t been to the playoffs in the three years I’ve been here. I’m going on Year 4. ... I see why there’s a lot of excitement. It’s been 10 years [since a playoff berth]. Hopefully we can break that. We’ve got a lot to prove. We’re good on paper, but we’ve got to do it.”
In addition to Evans, Alexander and the new signings, you could list Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and Jameis Winston among the players providing reason to think the Bucs can end that playoff drought. For that thought to blossom into something better, Evans is right about what needs to happen next.