The 2024 Professional Bowl votes are in, and one Bucs participant was chosen to the primary workforce. Vast receiver Mike Evans made the workforce with one in all his greatest seasons of the final 5 years. He presently ranks eleventh within the NFC in receptions with 76, seventh in receiving yards with 1,233 and he leads the NFL in landing catches with 13.
Evans joins starters Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown in addition to Puka Nacua of the L.A. Rams because the NFC’s representatives within the receiver room.
That is Evans’ fifth Professional Bowl choice. He beforehand was chosen in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. This implies he has made a Professional Bowl in half of his skilled seasons.
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Amongst his Professional Bowl seasons, 2023 ranks third in catches, third in yards and first in touchdowns. He nonetheless has yet another sport so as to add to these totals. The Bucs all-time chief in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns prolonged his report of ten straight seasons with 1,000 yards receiving.
This choice will assist bolster Evans’ Corridor of Fame credentials. For his profession he now has 759 catches, 11,658 yards, 94 touchdowns. These rank forty fifth, thirty third and t-Twelfth all time within the NFL. When together with his Tremendous Bowl ring from the 2020 season and the 1,000-yard season streak Evans now seems to be a lock for the Corridor.
Different Bucs Who Missed The Lower
A number of different Bucs gamers who had been deserving of consideration however didn’t make the primary workforce had been left deal with Tristan Wirfs, nostril deal with Vita Vea and particularly security Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield and Wirfs had been each named first alternates whereas Vea was a fifth alternate. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was additionally named a 3rd alternate.
Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr.and OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Winfield is essentially the most egregious snub for the Bucs. Jessie Bates III (Falcons), Budda Baker (Cardinals) and Julian Love (Seahawks) had been all voted on to the roster. Apart from Bates, Winfield’s 2023 resume is superior to that group throughout the board. With 117 mixed tackles together with 5 for a loss, 5 sacks, 5 compelled fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 12 passes defensed and three interceptions, Winfield isn’t just having a Professional Bowl season. He’s having a very particular season for a security ever.
For comparability’s sake right here is the resume of the three safeties chosen above Winfield:
Bates: 128 tackles, three tackles for loss, three compelled fumbles, six interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one landing
Baker: 77 tackles, 5 for loss
Love: 116 tackles, one for a loss, two compelled fumbles, one fumble restoration, 4 interceptions, seven passes defensed
Arizona’s Budda Baker made the Professional Bowl as an NFC security forward of Antoine Winfield.
Baker: 0 INT, 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 sacks
Winfield: 3 INT, 5 FF, 4 FR, 5 sacks— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 4, 2024
You do the maths on how this provides up.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photograph by: USA Immediately
Bucs future Ring of Honor inductee Lavonte David was as soon as once more snubbed from even an alternate choice. In his illustrious 12-year profession, David has solely made one Professional Bowl (2015). This regardless of rating Twelfth all time in tackles with 1,031, and thirty first in compelled fumbles with 28. The dearth of Professional Bowl alternatives is prone to make it troublesome for David to ever obtain his due consideration for the Corridor of Fame as soon as he hangs up his pads for good.
Offered the Bucs don’t make the Tremendous Bowl lots of the alternates and even David are probably additions to the roster as opting out has grow to be regular for Professional Bowl alternatives in recent times. Many gamers drop out as a consequence of a number of components. It was as a consequence of being on a Tremendous Bowl workforce or harm, however extra not too long ago gamers have simply opted to start out their off seasons earlier. This has led to the NFL having to dig deep to search out sufficient alternates. This was punctuated final yr when Tyler Huntley of the Ravens was an alternate regardless of solely making an attempt 112 passes on the season.
The Pro Bowl is scheduled for February 4th in Orlando, FL.
