With the conclusion of free agency, the next offseason focus for Tampa Bay is the 2024 NFL draft. Starting April 25, the Buccaneers and the remainder of the league will have the chance to upgrade their rosters ahead of the 2024 season.
In free agency, the Bucs brought back all three key free agents set to hit the market. Mike Evans agreed on a two-year, $52 million contract extension, used the $19.8 million franchise tag on free safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and the team re-signed Baker Mayfield to a $100 million deal.
As a result, the Bucs have already taken huge strides toward putting themselves back into contention this season, and are also setting up a fantastic foundation for the future. Even so, the Buccaneers' roster is far from solidified, and will have the ability to upgrade their roster through potential trades, possibility with the departures of these four players.
Potential Buccaneers trade candidates ahead of NFL Draft
WR Chris Godwin
Although superstar receiver Mike Evans rightfully gains most of the attention and credit to the Buccaneers' strong passing game, Chris Godwin has been one of the steadiest and most reliable No. 2 receivers in the league since his rookie season.
Dating back to 2017, Godwin has caught 529 passes for 6,690 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 12.6 yards per reception in 104 games (77 starts). It's worth noting Godwin has eclipsed the 1,000 receiving-yard mark in the last three seasons, and has done so in four of his six seasons in the league.
Even with inconsistent play and varying coordinators and quarterbacks, Godwin has still found success operating out of the slot. In his first season with Baker Mayfield behind center, Godwin totaled 83 receptions, 1,024 yards, two touchdowns, and 12.3 yards per catch, and posted 50+ yards in 12 of 17 games.
At 28 years old, Godwin has been an excellent complementary piece to Evans, and figures to continue to be in Tampa. As the offseason continues to near the 2024 NFL draft, Godwin has been labeled as a potential trade candidate ahead of April 25.
"[The Bucs] may prefer Godwin to stick as a reliable, if unspectacular, starter," said Cody Benjamin, a football analyst for CBS Sports. "But he's entering the final year of an expensive deal, due a whopping $27.5 million in 2024, and Evans is commanding top dollar on his own new deal. Maybe they'd be open to replacing his role via the draft."
Based on his three-year, $60 million contract extension signed in 2022, Godwin is set to make $20 million in 2024, and holds a $27.5 million cap hit, the fourth-highest among receivers in the NFL. If the Buccaneers did trade Godwin after June 1, the Buccaneers would save close to $20 million in cash.
That said, Tampa Bay would also take on about $35 million in dead money between 2023 and 2024. This would also mean 2023 fifth-round pick Trey Palmer, return specialist Deven Thompkins, or 2023 undrafted free agent Rakim Jarrett would move up in the depth chart.
To be honest, Palmer, Thompkins, and Jarrett have not shown the production and ability to be capable weapons for Mayfield. Coupled with offensive coordinator Liam Coen envisioning Godwin taking a prominent role in the slot similar to that of Cooper Kupp during his Offensive Player of the Year season, and trading Godwin now would be a short-term solution to a problem the Buccaneers can't completely solve right now.
TE Cade Otton
As it stands right now, Cade Otton is at the top of the depth chart heading into next season, and he will be heading into his third season having established a floor of being an average starter. That comes with the harsh truth that Otton may already be approaching his ceiling as a player.
Otten, the No. 106 pick in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, has played in 33 of 34 possible games, and has started in 27. Collectively, Otton has caught 89 passes for 846 receiving yards, six touchdowns, 9.5 yards per catch,
After totaling 391 yards and two touchdowns on 42 grabs as a rookie, Otton was much improved in 2023, notching 47 catches for 455 yards and four touchdowns, all career-highs. Per Sports Reference, Otton's catch clip increased from 64.6% to 70.1% and quarterback's passer rating moved from 91.2 to 102.5, while lowering his drop percentage from 7.7% to 4.5%.
Ultimately, Otton's future in Tampa is similar to Godwin's in the sense of how Coen plans to use them next season. For what's been said, Otton may play a greater role this season than most expect.
“Cade Otton is a guy that if you look at his body of work in such a short time playing in the NFL, you take for granted that he played 98% of the snaps last year,” Coen said. “That’s something we need to take off his plate a little bit, but you gain more of an appreciation for a guy that is playing 98% of the snaps in this weather, in this league, at a position where you are playing really two."
“You are playing wideout and you are playing O-line in a lot of ways. So I gained a lot of appreciation [for him] – and he’s a great guy. I got to meet him and be around him. He seems like the type of person you want your son to grow up to be like. Cade would be one of those guys for sure.”
With that said, the Buccaneers' window to win and advance deep into the playoffs won't be open forever. Evans and David are both on the wrong side of 30, and Mayfield, Godwin, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. are all getting older too.
While Tampa Bay chose to not add any competition at the tight end position in free agency, general manager Jason Licht and the front office will have ample opportunities to add a difference-maker in the NFL draft. Those options include Georgia's Brock Bowers, Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders, Florida State's Jaheim Bell, Ohio State's Cade Stover, Kansas State's Ben Sinnott, Penn State's Theo Johnson, and Arizona's Tanner McLachlan.
By trading Otton, Tampa Bay wouldn't save much money since Otten is a non-first-round pick on his rookie contract. Instead, Otton would give the Buccaneers a trading piece in landing an extra late-round pick, or moving up in the later part of the draft to select a prospect falling down the draft board.
OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Like Otton, Tryon-Shoyinka is still early into his NFL career. At 24 years old, Tryon-Shoyinka is set to enter his third season as a Buccaneer, and may already be on his way out of Tampa. As the former No. 32 pick of the 2021 draft, Tyron-Shoyinka has been quite underwhelming, both on the field and in the box score.
Dating back to his rookie season in 2021, Tyron-Shoyinka has complied 114 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, and six passes defended in 51 games (34 starts). This season, Tyron-Shoyinka did show considerable improvement, with season totals of 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 17 games (12 starts).
Alongside Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Yaya Diaby, Tyron-Shoyinka did help anchor a stout Buccaneers front seven that finished the season allowing just 19.1 points and 344.2 yards per contest, with the former ranking seventh in the NFL. How much Tryon-Shoyinka contributed to this can't be determined, especially considering the dominance of Vea, Kancey, and Diaby.
Since entering the league in 2021, Tryon-Shoyinka has earned PFF grades of 51.5, 67.1, and 65.5, so the 6'5", 229-pound pass rusher has definitely improved as his career has gone on. Compared to other edge rushers in the draft, however, Tryon-Shoyinka wouldn't be hard or expensive to replace, especially with the signing of veteran Randy Gregory.
The Buccaneers did part ways with outside linebacker Shaq Barrett and middle linebacker Devin White, while returning middle linebacker Lavonte David is entering his age-34 season. That automatically gives a reason to keep Tryon-Shoyinka for depth and an in-house option to fill the void left by Barrett or White.
In the days after day three of the draft concludes on April 27, the Buccaneers will have to decide on Tryon-Shoyinka's fifth-year option, which is set at $13.2 million. If Tampa Bay adds a pass rusher prosoect in the draft, then a trade for Tryon-Shoyinka may follow in the days after the draft,