Chris Godwin: Biggest threats to steal star WR from the Buccaneers
By Rob Leeds
Could the Buccaneers lose Chris Godwin?
First and foremost, any decisions in free agency come down to Chris Godwin and Chris Godwin alone. Suppose he decides to stay with the Buccaneers, great. Pay the man. If Tampa Bay can’t afford to keep one of the best wide receivers in the NFL who has a substantial market and he decides to leave, Bucs fans should wish Godwin nothing but the best.
Godwin will likely focus on celebrating with his family, friends, and teammates for the next month or so, as he should. He is a world champion. But when the dust settles and a decision needs to be made, Godwin will have to get real with himself.
With a ring on his hand, Godwin’s opportunities are almost limitless. All 31 other teams in the league should be interested in adding the star receiver, and the payday from the resulting bidding war could be massive.
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If Godwin chooses to stay in Tampa, he needs to realize that his contract will undoubtedly be lower than it could be with another team. The Bucs have a ton of cap space, but signing Barrett and Godwin would eat up most of it. Godwin could have to settle for something below his value if he wants to stay in Tampa, but the choice is his.
On the other hand, Godwin could fairly decide that after winning a ring in Tampa and being one of the best receivers in the NFL when healthy, he deserves a massive payday. Choosing to leave Tampa could be one of the best financial moves of Godwin’s career. Godwin stands to gain almost double what he could earn with the Buccaneers outside of Tampa, and the list of potential suitors is deep.
The best fits for Chris Godwin
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will likely invest in their passing game some this offseason after failing to make a deep run in the playoffs with their run-heavy approach. Chris Godwin would fit with Lamar Jackson perfectly, and his ability as a blocker would set him apart on running downs.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have a consistent young quarterback and a great defense, so adding another proven pass-catcher to mix to prop up Tua would give the Dolphins the ability to properly evaluate the quarterback position.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are about to draft their new franchise quarterback and want to give Trevor Lawrence every possible weapon. Chris Godwin would fit in perfectly with the current Jaguar receivers and would immediately become Lawrence’s best target.
New York Jets
Even if the Jets keep Sam Darnold, they need better options for their offense. The Breshad Perriman experiment didn’t work out, and now they need to go after a proven option with their ample cap space.
While Godwin has a much bigger draw than just these four teams, these teams can all offer him plenty of money and the staring role, which would be better than most of the other options.
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Godwin would likely miss the lower pressure of the Tampa offense and the benefit of playing with Tom Brady, but he does deserve a shot to go out and make a name for himself as a number one with a massive contract if he wants to do so.
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