Buccaneers: Chris Godwin is better than OBJ, and it’s not even close

Chris Godwin>Odell Beckham Jr.

It’s almost crazy that we even have to discuss this. The Buccaneers have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL right now in Chris Godwin, and the idea that Tampa Bay should let him walk to trade for Odell Beckham Jr. is grounded in no reason.

Odell Beckham exploded onto the scene with several dominant seasons to start his career, but that OBJ appears to be far gone today. Beckham’s catch against the Cowboys and his athleticism are undeniable, but Chris Godwin is currently the better player.

Chris Godwin wins in the stats department

In the last three seasons, Godwin has 3,015 receiving yards, 23 touchdowns, and 210 receptions. In the past four years for Beckham, he only has 2,708 receiving yards, 16 touchdowns, and 199 receptions.

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Godwin is averaging more yards and touchdowns per catch than Beckham by a decent margin, and while they both struggle with injuries, no one would argue that Godwin is the safer bet at this point in his career.

Unfortunately for Beckham, who is one of the most fun receivers in the NFL to watch when he is on his game, we have to take the last four years seriously when defining him as a player. The first three seasons were spectacular, but Beckham has fallen off his Hall of Fame pace. Current stats matter far more than a career, especially when that career has been marred by inconsistency, and Godwin gets the nod in more categories than Beckham.

Stats don’t tell the whole story. Godwin’s receiving stats have been better than Beckham’s, but Beckham is still one of the better receivers in the NFL when healthy. The issue with Beckham is that he is a fraction as good blocking as Godwin.

Godwin is one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL today, and while his upside as a receiver is slightly lower than Beckham’s with all else held consistent, Godwin is the far more complete player.

For those who need to hear it again, the Bucs aren’t going to let Godwin walk to pay OBJ more to bring less to the table. It doesn’t make money sense, and the Buccaneers are a much better team with Godwin on the field.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been a great player at times during his career, but when taking into account recent level of play, the arguments that support Beckham over Godwin are few and far between.

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