Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer signs with division rival

Bucs 2nd round pick in 2017 attempts to revive his career in New Orleans.

Collin Haalboom | Apr 5, 2022

A name Bucs fans likely haven't heard in a while resurfaced earlier this evening.

Justin Evans, a former second-round pick [50th overall] out of Texas A&M, and a once-promising free safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has signed to become the newest member of the New Orleans Saints, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Tampa Bay’s former second-round pick Justin Evans, who has spent the past two years out of football recovering from injuries, is signing a one-year deal to play safety for the New Orleans Saints, per his agent Kevin Conner of @UniSportsMgmt. He is now healthy and ready to play.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2022

Drafted in 2017, Evans had a fantastic rookie season. He started 11 games for the Bucs, registering 6 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, and 66 total tackles [2 TFL].

Even more notable than his stats, Evans looked the part. He was long, athletic and rangy. He was a cerebral player. Highly aggressive, but rarely out of control. An impressive young safety with tantalizing upside. Someone Bucs fans had the right to be excited about.

Unfortunately for Evans [and the Bucs], his second season was cut short due to a foot injury in week 15. He was placed on the IR, and due to recurring foot injuries, he was never able to work his way back to full health.

It wasn't due to a lack of effort, as Evans worked hard to get healthy. But setback after setback, year after year, the injuries were just too relentless to overcome.

Evans was cut by the Buccaneers on December 22, 2020, after receiving a "failed physical" designation by the team. Today feels like the first time his name has come up since then.

Assuming Justin Evans is finally healthy again, the move makes plenty of sense for the Saints.

A team that has already lost two safeties this offseason — Marcus Williams to free agency [Ravens], and Malcolm Jenkins to retirement, the Saints have an obvious vacancy at the position. The signing of former New York Jets safety, Marcus Maye, helps, but it isn't enough to fully supplement the departures of Williams and Jenkins on its own.

This isn't to say that Evans should be expected to slide into a starting role for the Saints, but his acquisition definitely feels like a low-risk - high reward type of move. He's still only 26 years old, and at the very least, he adds depth to a major position of need for the team.

I'm sure Bucs fans would prefer to see Justin Evans' name come up with any other franchise than the Saints, but they would be wise to support his comeback pursuit, regardless.

Although his career in Tampa was short-lived, Evans did everything he could to get back on the field for the Bucs.

Regardless of who you cheer for, Justin Evans' persistence and dedication to keeping his NFL dream alive deserves your respect.

Stay tuned to BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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Published Apr 5, 2022

COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.