Lee Evans enters the final year of his contract, hoping to earn a long-term extension
The Bills’ go-to guy wants to stay
Four years ago, Eric Moulds pulled aside a young Lee Evans and gave the first-round draft pick the same parental advice the veteran heard when he was a rookie. Enjoy every moment, Moulds told the kid as Andre Reed once told him, because the years will fall off the calendar in the snap of a finger.
Evans respectfully nodded his head, as if he understood. Looking back now, he didn’t have a clue. He’ll begin his fifth NFL season with the Buffalo Bills when the season opens against Seattle. Last season, he married his college sweetheart, the former Miranda Farr. Four months ago, they became parents to Lee Evans IV.
He’s 27, no longer a wide-eyed kid. He’s become the Bills’ No. 1 receiver, a dependable player and leader. He’s also entering the final year of the contract he signed as a rookie and looking for a long-term extension. Suddenly, the conversation he had with Moulds seems like it happened yesterday.
“No doubt,” Evans said. “It really flies by when you look at it from that perspective. It’s easy to say one thing, but to actually feel like it’s going by fast is a different sensation. I certainly feel that way. It’s been a lot of fun, these past four years. You just want to keep it rolling.”
How long Evans and the Bills will roll along together largely depends on what happens in the season ahead. Evans has made it clear he wants to stick around, and the Bills certainly want to keep him. Negotiations have been ongoing throughout training camp and the preseason, and the two sides are hoping to reach an agreement sooner than later.
All concerned agree that Evans has become a victim of circumstance, that he has untapped potential to become a dominant receiver over the next several years. The trick will be coming up with a fair dollar amount after adding up what he does on the field, what he brings to the locker room and what he means to the fan base.
“We certainly have a high value on Lee,” Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon said. “It’s not only what he brings on the field but what he brings to the organization and the community off the field. He’s a tremendous individual. We value Lee and view him as our top wide receiver.”
Bills coach Dick Jauron has made it clear that making the playoffs is a must. You want an example how time flies, even when you’re not having fun? Buffalo hasn’t reached the postseason since 1999, when Evans was a high school senior in Ohio and Moulds was playing his fourth NFL season.
The Bills have made several critical changes in their approach that should help their offense in general and Evans in particular. They plan to move him around in their formations after he was lined up almost exclusively on the left side for the previous three seasons. They believe they have a true No. 2 receiver in rookie James Hardy.
Perhaps the biggest shift is a commitment to simply getting the ball into his hands more often. Evans established himself as a dangerous deep threat when quarterback J. P. Losman, an effective long-ball passer, was running the offense. Trent Edwards is more likely to find Evans with a short-passing attack that will be complemented by Hardy and the threat of deep speed.
“Lee can do different things,” Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert said. “He’s not a one-dimensional receiver. We want to use his talents. We’re going to move him around and make the defense find him. . . . He’s one of our go-to guys. He’s a playmaker, and we’re counting on him to make plays for us.”
Evans has played with four quarterbacks in his career, starting with since-retired Drew Bledsoe (also Kelly Holcomb). He has had three offensive coordinators, beginning with the forgettable Tom Clements. He’s had three front-office bosses in Tom Donahoe, Marv Levy and Brandon. He’s had two head coaches, Mike Mularkey and Jauron.
Over the same period, the Indianapolis Colts have had the same starting quarterback in Peyton Manning, the same offensive coordinator in Tom Moore, the same general manager in Bill Polian and the same coach in Tony Dungy. And they also had Marvin Harrison, one of the top receivers in the league.
“It’s a huge, huge factor,” Evans said. “People really underestimate how huge of a factor that really is. Things are a lot easier when you’ve been in the same system. You’re innately on the same page. Hats off to them and the organization for building that and keeping it all together.”
For the Bills, it raises a multimillion- dollar question: Is Evans an elite NFL receiver worthy of big-time money or is he merely the best receiver for a mediocre offense that has been in constant flux since the moment he arrived?
Evans showed signs he was a big-time playmaker when he caught 48 passes for 843 yards and nine touchdowns his rookie season. He appeared to make a major breakthrough two years ago, his first season without Moulds, when he and Losman hooked up 82 times for 1,292 yards and eight touchdowns.
It’s the other two years, one with Moulds and one without him, that fuel doubts about whether he’s a top NFL receiver.
Evans had 48 catches for 743 yards and seven TDs his second season. Last season, he had 55 catches for 849 yards and a career- low five touchdowns in a struggling offense that included a quarterback change from Losman to Edwards. Eight times last season, he was held to three or fewer catches.
“I certainly consider myself a No. 1 receiver,” Evans said. “For whatever that’s worth, that’s how I look at it and how I approach things. You really don’t have a say on how other people calculate what is or what is not [a No. 1 receiver].”
The calculations are going to come from One Bills Drive, where Evans is viewed as a key player in the team’s future. No matter how his career is dissected, there’s no arguing he has more catches (233) for more yards (3,727) and more TDs (29) than any receiver in team history over his first four seasons.
Salaries for big-time receivers have skyrocketed in recent years. Bernard Berrian, who had 150 catches for 2,197 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first four seasons, signed a six-year deal worth $42 million with Minnesota. The Bills would have the option to make Evans their franchise player, guaranteeing a salary of more than $8.5 million next season, if they don’t reach an agreement this season.
For now, he’s following Moulds’ advice. He’s enjoying the moment and looking forward to another season, knowing it will be over in a snap.
“You never know what can happen,” he said. “You can always look at something and say the grass is greener on the other side. For this situation right now, we’re trying the best we can to make it work. There are a lot of possibilities out there, and there are a lot of opportunities out there as well. I’m excited about the season.”
