Evans: 'I think I'm that piece' 49ers were missing to win title
Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans believes the San Francisco 49ers were just one piece away from winning the Super Bowl last season.
"And I think I'm that piece. I look forward to coming here and proving that," the free-agent addition told reporters Thursday, according to NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco.
Evans said he wanted to join a contending team with a good quarterback and felt the 49ers checked both boxes.
"So I was looking at here, Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver. I liked this place. This was my No. 1 spot on my own," Evans said.
The 32-year-old had spent his entire NFL career so far with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who drafted him seventh overall in 2014. San Francisco and Evans agreed to a three-year contract reportedly worth up to $60.4 million on the first day of the legal tampering period.
The Texas A&M product is looking to rebound from an injury-riddled season in which he only played eight games. He dealt with a hamstring ailment in late September and then landed on injured reserve after suffering a broken collarbone and concussion in Week 7.
One of the most productive wide receivers in league history, Evans recorded 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 11 years in the league. His 13,052 career receiving yards rank 21st all-time and second among active players behind DeAndre Hopkins.
San Francisco went 12-5 last season and reached the NFC divisional round despite injuries to many key starters. Brock Purdy missed eight games with toe and shoulder ailments but ranked third among all quarterbacks in EPA/play with at least 320 snaps last year, according to Ben Baldwin's database.
Evans expressed excitement about working with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. They spoke Monday, and Shanahan pitched Evans on how he'd integrate the veteran into the 49ers' offense.
"I've always been a fan of Kyle," Evans said. "And he just talked about how he sees me in this offense. And it made me even happier, and it was a no-brainer really after I got on the phone with him."