If the Combine was the precursor to the offseason truly getting underway, the Washington Commanders fired the starting gun on Saturday night.
As the NFL world departed Indianapolis after a week of scouting talent in this year's upcoming draft class, the Commanders got to work adding one of the most prolific wide receivers in the game. Washington traded a fifth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Deebo Samuel, a deal that signals the beginning of what should be a chaotic start to the new league year.
That won't happen until March 12th, which is when this trade will become official. When that date rolls around the free agent tampering period will have already taken place, which is where interests of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers potentially intersect with this trade.
Chris Godwin is set to become a free agent in a few weeks unless the Bucs can find a way to work out an extension with him ahead of time. If that doesn't happen there will undoubtedly be interest around the league, but the Commanders trading for Deebo might take at least one team out of the running.
Deebo Samuel trade might end up helping the Buccaneers re-sign Chris Godwin
Over the weekend, ESPN's Aaron Schatz initially tossed out Godwin as a free agent target for the Commanders. It added yet another team to the growing list of potential suitors and everything about his logic made the sort of sense that freaked some fans out.
"Terry McLaurin is one of the best outside wide receivers in the NFL, but most of Washington's receivers are free agents in 2025. Only McLaurin and 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey remain right now. The Commanders could really use a strong slot receiver who could work underneath, and that's where Godwin comes in," Schatz wrote.
Godwin getting to play in an electric offense with the Rookie of the Year and two excellent receivers could have been a recipe for disaster in Tampa Bay. The Bucs will already likely have to deal with both the Raiders and Jagaurs trying to pry Godwin away with big offers, so it really wasn't helpful to think about the Commanders piling on with interest.
There's still a chance they go for broke and try to bring Godwin in even after trading for Samuel, but it seems highly unlikely. It doesn't mean the Bucs are somehow guarunteed to bring Godwin back, either, but it fends off what could have been a dark horse competitor for signing him in a few weeks.
Another thing to think about here is whether the Buccaneers could have beaten the Commanders' offer for Samuel. A fifth-round pick isn't exactly top dollar trade currency, and even a GM like Jason Licht who loves his picks could easily part with that to bring in Deebo and his upside.
Perhaps this is yet another indicator that something with Godwin will get done. Their contracts would be similar in value but the Bucs holding off on moving a pick to bring in a sure-fire thing as a replacement for Godwin suggests there's reason to be optimistic about the outcome of his situation.
A lot can still happen and Godwin isn't a sure-thing to return, but all signs continue to point in that direction. Everyone seems to want this to resolve with Godwin remaining in Tampa Bay -- a place he's beloved and he's gone on record as saying he loves to play -- and other teams making moves to get guys who aren't him only helps that plan along.
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