4 wide receivers the NY Jets can trade for before the 2023 NFL Draft

2. The NY Jets could trade for Mike Evans

Now we get into the really high-profile additions. One superstar wide receiver who has somewhat surprisingly been the subject of trade rumors this offseason is Mike Evans.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star is entering the final year of his contract, and with the Bucs not expected to compete for a Super Bowl in 2023 with Baker Mayfield at quarterback, perhaps they could consider shopping their Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Evans missed a couple of games in 2022, but he still finished with 77 catches for 1,124 yards and six touchdowns. He's now recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in all nine of his NFL seasons — a downright ridiculous streak of productivity.

Despite his numbers, Evans still feels like more of the most underrated receivers in football. Only Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins have more receiving yards since Evans entered the league in 2014. Only Davante Adams has more receiving touchdowns.

The problem with trading Evans, though, is the $21 million dead cap hit the Bucs would take on if they moved him before the draft. That dead cap hit would shrink to just $9 million if they traded him after the draft, but that would push $12 million in dead cap into 2024.

The Bucs would like to recoup assets for Evans, especially if they don't expect to re-sign him next offseason, but the finances would be tricky. On top of that, it's hard to believe they will receive equal value in return.

I don't expect Evans to be traded this offseason, but you can never say never in the NFL. If the Bucs are willing to explore his market, the Jets should absolutely make a competitive offer.