Just minutes before the legal tampering period of NFL free agency began, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opted to bring back one key starter.
Tampa Bay officially re-signed guard Ben Bredeson to a 3-year deal on Monday morning.
Getting a move like this out of the way before the crazier action starts was a wise move by Jason Licht.
As Bucs reporter Greg Auman noted, this now means Tampa Bay will have all five offensive line starters back for the 2025 season. This is notable news for one key reason at this point in time, and it has to do with yet another important Bucs free agent.
The Bucs re-signing Ben Bredeson could hint at a Chris Godwin return
Veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin is also a free agent, but watching the team solidify all five starters up front for another year is a positive in this respect.
Last year, people wondered whether or not Mike Evans would end up on another team as he was also a free agent. Ultimately, the Bucs worked out a deal and it didn't seem like Evans ever wanted to leave in the first place.
This not only kept quarterback Baker Mayfield happy, but ensured the offense wasn't going to miss a beat in what ended up being Baker's best season yet.
While the team likes Jalen McMillan and some of the other guys in that receiver room, Godwin is far too valuable to let walk at this point. It's been reported for a while that the two sides want to get a deal done for Godwin to stick around, but his market should also be fairly strong. His price tag might be a bit out of range, but we'll see if the Bucs can make it happen.
The free agent wide receiver market doesn't have a ton of great names this year, and with Tee Higgins getting the franchise tag, Godwin is the next-best potentially available.
Again, the fact that Tampa Bay is prioritizing everything in front of and around Mayfield could be a good sign for Godwin coming back. This is a team with a lot of talent and there's something to be said about continuity.
Will it happen? We're not too far out from knowing the answer.