One of several big names scheduled to hit free agency on the Buccaneers is wide receiver Chris Godwin. While last season’s champions will have to make several tough decisions on which players to keep and let go, it appears Godwin will be one of their priorities. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Bucs “have high interest in re-signing Godwin”. That would certainly be a worthwhile investment, considering his production so far in his career. Even in 14 games in 2021, the 25-year-old posted 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns – already his second 1,000 yard campaign.

Godwin suffered a torn ACL in December, ending his season. Especially after Antonio Brown‘s departure from the team, his absence was felt in the Bucs’ passing attack. Fortunately, the surgery he had to repair the knee, performed earlier in January, was successful, and he is expected to make a full recovery.

Even if some teams are cautious making free agent offers due to the injury, Godwin would likely see a large market if he tests the waters. After playing on the franchise tag (set at $15.9MM) in 2021, a second tag would raise that number to just over $19MM if the Bucs decided to go that route. Instead, Fowler predicts “a sweet-spot deal that acknowledges the high-end market while protecting the team” as the ultimate outcome if he stays in Tampa.

Of course, much of Godwin’s plans will likely hinge on whether or not Tom Brady decides to return; even if he does, Godwin might still have the opportunity to be this year’s top wide receiver (with the potential exception of Davante Adams). He will therefore be central to the Bucs’ offseason, which will itself be one of the most intriguing around the league.

The Bucs believe that Chris Godwin avoided a major injury in last night’s loss to the Saints (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Still, the wide receiver is likely looking at a sprained his MCL, which would cost him at least a couple of games. 

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Godwin was forced out in the first half, along with fellow star wide receiver Mike Evans. Later on, Leonard Fournette suffered a hamstring injury. They were clearly missed – the Bucs were held scoreless by the Saints for a 9-0 loss.

Through 14 games, Godwin has 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns, plus one rushing TD for good measure. The return of Antonio Brown could offset the loss of Godwin somewhat, but they want to have their leading WR healthy for the playoffs. Ditto for Evans, who has eleven receiving TDs on the year.

The Bucs couldn’t clinch the NFC South last night, but they remain on the right track at 10-4. They should know more about everyone’s availability after additional testing today.

There’s less than 24 hours to go until the deadline to sign franchised players, and it sounds like the Buccaneers and Chris Godwin won’t agree to a long-term pact. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are not expected to agree on a long-term deal before tomorrow. However, Rapoport clarifies that the organization still considers Godwin a “core player” and intends to re-sign him to a long-term deal next offseason.

This certainly isn’t the first time that the Buccaneers have found themselves in this scenario. As Rapoport tweets, the front office previously went through a similar situation with Shaq Barrett, who they finally ended up extending this past offseason. In other words, the lack of progress on an extension shouldn’t be a cause for concern regarding Godwin’s future in Tampa Bay.

There have been conflicting reports about negotiations since Godwin was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason. In fact, we heard just last night that the two sides could still agree on a long-term pact prior to the deadline, but it sounds like that ultimately won’t be the case.

There have always been a few complications surrounding a Godwin extension. For starters, after dishing out a bunch of cash to retain their Super Bowl-winning core, the Buccaneers are a bit strapped for cash at the moment, making it tough to carve out the necessary space to sign Godwin. Kenny Golladay was able to earn $18MM this offseason from the Giants, a number that Godwin would presumably be pushing for. For what it’s worth, Godwin’s tag is worth $15.9MM.

The former third-round pick has just one 1,000-yard season on his resume, but the Bucs did not make him a full-time player until they traded DeSean Jackson after the 2018 season. Godwin blew up for 1,333 yards and nine touchdown receptions in 2019. Although he encountered multiple injuries last season, the Penn State product still surpassed 800 yards and remains an essential part of Tampa Bay’s loaded skill-position corps.

There’s some hope that Chris Godwin could end up inking an extension with the Buccaneers after all. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that there’s still a “chance” that the wideout inks a long-term deal with Tampa Bay.

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The Buccaneers have been willing to dish out money this offseason to retain their top players, but Godwin’s demands could be too pricey for the organization. As Fowler notes, Kenny Golladay was able to earn $18MM this offseason from the Giants; that type of AAV might not be palatable to the Buccaneers front office.

We heard last week that negotiations between the two sides weren’t particularly close. Godwin’s tag is worth $15.9MM, but the Pro Bowl receiver is likely shooting for a deal in the WR1 range. Presently holding less than $500K in cap space (and, not to mention, paying fellow wideout Mike Evans a sizable contract), the Bucs will need to create some room if they truly want to re-up Godwin.

The former third-round pick has just one 1,000-yard season on his resume, but the Bucs did not make him a full-time player until they traded DeSean Jackson after the 2018 season. Godwin blew up for 1,333 yards and nine touchdown receptions in 2019. Although he encountered multiple injuries last season, the Penn State product still surpassed 800 yards and remains an essential part of Tampa Bay’s loaded skill-position corps.