As NFL free agency approaches, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are growing increasingly nervous about what the future holds in regards to Chris Godwin. He’s set to hit the market in a few days when the new league year begins, and when he does there will be no shortage of teams hoping to bring him in.
It’s the first time in his career that Godwin will have the ability to leave and sign elsewhere. He’s been franchise tagged twice, something the Bucs avoided doing a third time this year for a number of different reasons. Fans in Tampa Bay are hoping the main reason is that the team is confident a deal can get done to bring him back, but that’s easier said than done.
The primary reason the Bucs might run into trouble is the sheer amount of interest the will be in Godwin around the league. Tampa Bay has the upper hand but it doesn’t have unlimited funds, and getting outbid is a real possibility.
All along the Jaguars have seemed like the Bucs’ biggest competition, but another team is starting to emerge in the 11th hour that could throw a wrench in everything.
Patriots might overpay to bring Chris Godwin in to help change the culture
NFL insider James Palmer dove into Godwin’s market, which he deemed to be massive, and specifically picked out the New England Patriots as a landing spot.
Perhaps similar to why Liam Coen would want Godwin in Jacksonville, Palmer mentioned Godwin’s leadership, toughness, and the fact that he played with Tom Brady as selling points that could lead to New England potentially overpaying to bring him in.
“Mike Vrabel understands what Chris Godwin brings to a new locker room, with what he’s tying to turn over,” Palmer said. “It almost seems like New England would overpay just to have all of that come into their locker room with what they’re trying to build with Drake Maye.”
Godwin’s talent has been an obvious reason for teams wanting to bring him in, but the idea of him as a culture changer is something that hasn’t been mentioned as much. Almost all of the attention when it comes to Coen and the Jaguars has been filtered through the lens of him wanting to stick it to the Bucs, which has blinded even fans in Jacksonville to the idea of New England swooping in like Han Solo out of nowhere to completely change the game.
The Patriots have a ton of cap space and money to send, and clearly have motivation to bring Godwin in. It’s about more than just giving him a place to flourish, it’s providing a chance for him to have an impact beyond simply lighting it up on the field.
It’s hard to be upset about Godwin being viewed in this way. Losing him would be a blow to the Bucs, but it would also be an unexpected feather in the team’s cap. Godwin signing somewhere based on his talent is one thing, but teams coveting him for his leadership is a testament to how strong Tampa Bay’s locker room has been over the last few years.
We’ve seen teams dip into the Bucs’ reserves already based on this. Coen left in the messiest way possible but he parlayed a single year as the team’s coordinator into one of only 32 jobs that exist in the world. The same can be said for John Spytek, who was plucked from Jason Licht’s tree to help turn the Raiders around.
That positive view of how the Bucs do things extends beyond coaches and front office personnel to the players on the field. Everyone knows what Godwin can do with X’s and O’s, but to have him sought after as a locker room leader is something to take pride in.
Of course, that doesn’t make losing him feel any better. As nice as it is to have this sort of glowing endorsement of the franchise, the Bucs need to find a way to bring Godwin back. If it wasn’t clear already, the competition is only going to get steeper the longer Tampa Bay goes without working something out.
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