Big Bucs for WR Evans

Another wide receiver mega-contract down, another step closer to understanding the market for Odell Beckham Jr. You can see the parameters of Beckham’s next contract beginning to form every time another star wideout re-ups.

Friday, Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans signed a five-year, $82.5 million extension with $55 million guaranteed to remain with the Buccaneers. His $16.5 million average annual salary puts him second behind only Antonio Brown’s $17 million figure among receivers.

This comes after Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins signed a five-year, $81 million extension with $49 million guaranteed last August to remain with the Texans. His $16.2 million average now ranks third.

Beckham is hoping to cash in this offseason on the heels of Evans’ new deal. And now is as hot a time as ever for a receiver to strike with the market sizzling coming off Friday’s reported trade of Beckham’s best friend, Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry, to the Cleveland Browns for draft picks.

So Beckham is the big name hanging in the balance. And on the one hand, there would seem to be a logical deal to be made to keep him a Giant coming off the Evans and Hopkins deals:

Five years and $90 million with $60 million guaranteed, for example, would give Beckham an $18 million average annual salary, tops among NFL receivers, and set a new benchmark at the position.

The tricky part, though, is Beckham reportedly wants more than $20 million per year, and the stats back it up. Neither Beckham, Evans nor Hopkins has significant postseason experience. And comparing regular season numbers, Beckham stands apart even in this elite class.

Beckham, in his 47-game NFL regular season career, has averaged 6.6