Buccaneers Place Franchise Tag On Chris Godwin
It seems a new pact won’t be forthcoming for Chris Godwin today, at least. The team has indeed placed the franchise tag on him for the second straight year, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Bucs, Godwin Still In Talks]
Negotiations for a long-term deal are ongoing between the team and player. However, it was widely expected that Tampa Bay wouldn’t hesitate to tag the 26-year-old to buy time for a new contract. The two sides now have until mid-July to agree on terms.
A third rounder in 2017, Godwin has certainly outperformed his draft status during his time in Tampa Bay. His 2019 Pro Bowl season showcased his ability even without a quarterback the caliber of Tom Brady in the picture. His 2021 season with the future Hall of Famer (98 catches, 1,103 yards, five touchdowns) confirmed his talent level.
If he remains on the tag, Godwin will earn $19.2MM. Still, a deal could be coming “in the next few days” according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine (Twitter link). Godwin has clearly been made the team’s top offseason priority, which is understandable given his age and production. On the other hand, his ACL tear suffered late in the season could be the source of trepidation from Tampa’s perspective.
With Godwin on the books for at least one more season, this increases the likelihood that Carlton Davis reaches free agency. Greg Auman of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Bucs could still ink him to a new deal, though he will presumably have other suitors.
Buccaneers, Chris Godwin Still In Talks
The Buccaneers and Chris Godwin are still working on a long-term deal, according to a source who spoke with Tyler Dragon of USA Today (Twitter link). If no deal is reached, however, the Bucs are prepared to franchise tag the star wide receiver before today’s 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline.
[RELATED: Bucs Hope To Re-Sign Jensen, Cappa]
That would mark a second consecutive tag for Godwin, so he would be in line for a 20% bump over last year’s rate. For most of the year, Godwin was trending towards a top-of-the-market multi-year deal, but that all changed when he suffered a torn ACL. Instead of a long commitment, the Bucs may prefer to see how Godwin bounces back in 2022, at a rate of $19MM+. On the plus side for Godwin, the tag would be fully guaranteed.
Godwin, 26, saw his season end in Week 15. Still, he turned in yet another 1,000-yard season — 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns. Despite the setback, his camp is (understandably) making the case for long-term security. The Bucs may be flexible on that front, too, especially with an additional $26MM added to the NFL’s cap max.
Meanwhile, the Bucs are also hoping to keep offensive line starters Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa. Both players are extra crucial for Tampa Bay following Ali Marpet‘s retirement — Jensen profiles as the best center in this year’s free agency class while Cappa is among the very best available guards.
Buccaneers Expected To Tag Chris Godwin
Chris Godwin is expected to soon join the fairly exclusive club of players to have been franchise-tagged twice. Barring a long-term deal coming together over the next several hours, the Bucs plan to tag the free agent-to-be, USA Today’s Tyler Dragon tweets.
Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to use their tags. This has been the Bucs’ Godwin path for a bit, with both Bruce Arians and Jason Licht indicating Godwin’s importance to their offense. Because he was tagged in 2021, the five-year veteran wideout would earn just more than $19MM once he is re-tagged. Once Godwin signs the tender, that amount is fully guaranteed.
This would be a decent consolation for Godwin, who is rehabbing a torn ACL. That said, the tag system interfered with the former third-round pick signing a big-ticket free agency accord before that tear occurred. The Bucs and Godwin were unable to reach an extension agreement by last July’s deadline. They would have until July 15 of this year to finalize another deal. The stakes this year rise, as third franchise tags are not practical under the current system. Absent an extension before that date, the Bucs will risk losing Godwin in 2023.
Godwin, 26, surpassed 1,100 yards despite going down in Week 15. Tampa Bay certainly felt the loss of the impact receiver, after the latest Antonio Brown debacle deprived Tom Brady of two of his top three receivers in the playoffs. Godwin also has a 1,333-yard Pro Bowl season (2019) on his resume, strengthening his negotiating position. The salary cap’s $26MM spike — to $208.2MM — will embolden tagged players as well. The Bucs’ quarterback plan adds intrigue to this situation, with Godwin running the risk of his numbers plummeting if the team cannot acquire a quality passer this offseason.
A Godwin tag will mean Carlton Davis remaining on track for free agency. The Bucs are hoping to re-sign Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa, but those two are also a week from being able to speak with other teams. Tampa Bay managed a historic feat last year by bringing back its entire Super Bowl LV core, but the team runs the risk of that group splintering soon.
NFC South Notes: Wirfs, Trask, Saints, Gilmore
The Buccaneers cruised on Super Wild Card Weekend to a mostly stress-free victory over the Eagles in January. While they were all smiles on the field, in the locker room, Pro Bowl right tackle Tristan Wirfs was preparing himself for a lengthy recovery. Wirfs left the game early in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury and, soon after, found out that he had suffered two torn ligaments, including one off the bone, and was initially thought to need surgery to repair his ankle.
Well, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, a second opinion informed Wirfs that surgery was not necessary and, after receiving an injection in the ankle, he’s made progress in his recovery and is expected to avoid surgery altogether.
Here are some other notes from the NFC South, starting with another note from central Florida:
- According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, head coach Bruce Arians has announced that quarterback Kyle Trask will be given a legitimate chance to replace Tom Brady in training camp. With the retirement of Brady leaving the position behind center wide open for the taking, the second-year player out of the nearby University of Florida will attempt to show his worth as the team’s second-round pick from last year. Veteran Blaine Gabbert spent the 2021 season as Brady’s primary backup, but he is heading back to the free agent market, unless Arians and company decide to bring him back. As of right now, Trask is the only active quarterback on contract in Tampa Bay. It has yet to be seen whom his competition will be.
- On Monday, news dropped that the University of Alabama’s director of sports science, Dr. Matt Rhea, is expected to join the staff in New Orleans, according to Josh Pate of CBS Sports. Rhea has worked with the Tide for two years after a similar stint on staff with the Indiana Hoosiers. He also brings with him 13 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach.
- The Panthers acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore via a trade with the Patriots last season. After overcoming an early quad injury to start the season, Gilmore put forth an impressive performance in eight games for Carolina. The Panthers would love to bring Gilmore back on a new deal, but, with Gilmore expected to draw offers up to $14MM, he is expected to test free agency, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bengals, Jets, Jaguars Expected To Pursue Ryan Jensen; Bucs Want To Retain C
It will cost the Buccaneers to keep Ryan Jensen. Despite this being the veteran center’s second go-round at free agency, he is expected to have a robust market.
The Bengals, Jets and Jaguars are among the teams expected to have interest in Jensen once he hits the market, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Meanwhile, the Bucs want to do “everything possible” to keep their four-year center, Wilson adds. This follows a report that indicated Tampa Bay wanted to retain Jensen and Alex Cappa, with Ali Marpet‘s surprise retirement putting pressure on the Bucs to hang onto their other top interior O-linemen.
With the franchise tag formula grouping all offensive linemen together, the tag is not a realistic option for the Bucs, who also have plenty of other starters headed for free agency. The O-line tag is expected to approach $17MM; the NFL’s highest-paid center (Frank Ragnow) earns $13.5MM annually. The demand for Jensen could give the center position a new top salary. That would be quite the development for the ex-Raven, who signed a center-record deal (four years, $42MM) when he was last a free agent in 2018.
Jensen, 31 in May, has not missed a game over the past five seasons. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past year. Jacksonville, Cincinnati and New York each are among the top five in terms of cap space. Tampa Bay is barely $2MM over the cap, residing near the bottom of the league in terms of offseason resources.
The Bengals obviously have needs across their O-line, and they appear to be committed to improving the center position. They are also expected to pursue Ravens center Bradley Bozeman, who looms as a cheaper alternative to Jensen. The Jets signed Connor McGovern just two years ago in free agency, giving him a three-year, $27MM deal. His contract is up after the 2022 season. Jacksonville has Brandon Linder under contract, but the longtime Jaguars blocker has run into rampant injury trouble. The Jags could save $9.5MM by cutting Linder.
NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Buccaneers, Falcons
After getting canned as Jaguars special teams coordinator, Nick Sorensen has found a new gig in San Francisco. The veteran coach will join the 49ers staff as a defensive assistant, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Prior to his one-year stint on the Jaguars coaching staff, Sorensen had a stint with the Seahawks as their special teams assistant and assistant secondary coach.
The 49ers are also hiring Stephen Adegoke as a defensive quality control coach (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). Adegoke last served as a graduate assistant on the University of Michigan’s staff.
Meanwhile, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that veteran running backs coach Bobby Turner is stepping away from his role with the 49ers, although the 72-year-old isn’t necessarily retiring. Turner has been a RBs coach in the NFL since 1995, and he’s been with the 49ers since 2017. Former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who joined the 49ers as assistant head coach, is expected to work closely with the running backs.
More coaching notes out of the NFC…
- The Buccaneers announced that Larry Foote will move from outside linebackers coach to inside linebackers coach (via The Athletic’s Greg Auman on Twitter). Veteran assistant Bob Sanders, who worked with head coach Bruce Arians in Arizona, will be taking over as OLBs coach. Auman also tweets that the Buccaneers hired two new quality control coaches in Jeff Kastl (offense) and Joey Fitzgerald (defense).
- The Commandeers announced today that they’ve promoted four coaches (via Williams): Todd Storm (offensive quality control coach to assistant tight ends coach), Luke Del Rio (offensive quality control coach to assistant quarterbacks coach/offensive quality control), Vincent Rivera (defensive quality control to assistant linebackers coach/defensive quality control), and Cristian Garcia (coaching intern to defensive quality control coach).
- The Falcons are hiring Steven King as a special teams assistant, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (via Twitter). King served as the Tar Heels special teams quality control coach in 2021. He’ll report to Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
- Mark DeLeone is out as the Lions inside linebackers coach, reports Tim Twentyman of the team’s website (on Twitter). Kelvin Sheppard, who spent last season as outside linebackers coach, will move to inside linebackers coach. Meanwhile, following the promotion of Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand will be the Lions new tight ends coach.
- Ramsen Golpashin, who recently served as an offensive line and defensive line analyst with UCLA, will join the Packers staff as an offensive quality control coach, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Golpashin has also become a hot name on the draft circuit, working with top linemen prospects like Ickey Ekwonu and Aidan Hutchinson.
Franchise Tag In Play For Chris Godwin; Bucs Hope To Re-Sign Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa
Chris Godwin‘s injury damaged the Buccaneers’ hopes of defending their Super Bowl title, and despite several months remaining on the versatile wideout’s rehab timetable, the team is not eager to see him hit the open market.
Bruce Arians said Tuesday the Bucs “really, really want [Godwin] back,” and while the team does not want to use its franchise tag on Godwin again, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that scenario is in play. This would represent a nice pay bump for Godwin, with a second tag being 120% of his 2021 salary. That would come out to just more than $19MM.
Tampa Bay has one more week to negotiate with Godwin before the tag deadline. If the Bucs opt to withhold their tag, they would have six more days of exclusive negotiating rights before the legal tampering period begins March 14. Tampa Bay authored one of the NFL’s signature roster-retention efforts last year, keeping its entire core. That required re-signing a few key players after the market opened. But Godwin was the team’s priority last year. His ACL tear did not diminish his value to the organization, even after Tom Brady‘s retirement.
“Knowing Chris and the way he works – he had a good surgery and those guys are coming back faster and faster now,” Arians said. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem at all. … Chris is so valuable to what we do.”
Godwin’s injury and Antonio Brown‘s bizarre departure left Brady without a proven inside weapon in the playoffs, helping the Rams take a three-score lead in the divisional round. Despite playing in just 14 games, Godwin still produced his second 1,000-yard season. The Bucs have Mike Evans signed to a $16.5MM-per-year extension. That deal represented a top-market price when signed in 2018, but nine wideouts have since passed it. Godwin would certainly be expected to do so as well, should the Bucs ink him to a long-term extension.
Additionally, Bucs GM Jason Licht said the team is hoping to keep offensive line starters Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa, Stroud tweets. This certainly makes sense after Ali Marpet‘s surprise retirement Sunday. Jensen resides as the top free agent center, while Cappa is among the top guards set to hit the market. Jensen previously tested free agency and signed a big-ticket Bucs accord in 2018. This would be Cappa’s first time hitting the market.
Jensen will turn 31 in May, but the ex-Raven has been one of the NFL’s most durable players, having not missed a game since the start of the 2017 season. A third-round pick in 2018, Cappa did not miss a regular-season game during Brady’s two Tampa seasons, but he did miss Super Bowl LV after suffering a fractured ankle. Cappa rebounded to play all 19 Bucs games last season. The Bucs hold just more than $11MM in cap room, but space-clearing moves will be on tap — especially if the team needs to enter free agency with another Godwin tag on its payroll.
Buccaneers Uninterested In Allowing Tom Brady To Play Elsewhere In 2022
Tom Brady unretirement speculation has persisted since he announced his NFL exit, and the quarterback icon remains on the Buccaneers’ roster. The Bucs are interested in Brady returning; they are not open to accommodating any wishes the future Hall of Famer might have about playing elsewhere this season.
Bruce Arians said Tuesday the Bucs would not release Brady or trade him to another team this year, calling such moves “bad business” for his team, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Brady is under contract for 2022, due to the Bucs extension he signed last year.
Brady has hinted at a Brett Favre-style return, potentially around the time training camps open. The Packers traded Favre to the Jets for a conditional draft choice after he backtracked on retirement No. 1 in 2008. That pick ended up settling in the 2009 third round. The Jets let Favre sign with the Vikings as a free agent in 2009, following his second retirement. Arians said it would require something outlandish — “five No. 1s, maybe” — for Tampa Bay to entertain trading Brady, who has not requested a trade, Jason Licht said, via the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.
The Bucs taking this course of action would shelve the 22-year veteran this season. Brady had long hoped to play through at least his age-45 season, and he opened the door to more seasons after the Bucs won Super Bowl LV. Despite bringing its entire core back, Tampa Bay could not advance past the divisional round this season — one that may or may not have featured a significant Brady-Arians disconnect. While Arians attempted to shoot down those rumors, Brady has been connected to unretiring and maneuvering his way to a third team.
As for Brady unretiring and playing for the Bucs, Arians made sure to confirm that door remains open. The team has been connected to big names since Brady’s retirement — from Russell Wilson to Deshaun Watson — but the fourth-year Bucs HC would welcome Brady back.
“That door is never closed,” Arians said. “Whenever Tom wants to come back, he’s back. … If Tom wants to come back, we’ll have plenty of money for him.”
That would take some doing, given the team’s immediate need at quarterback and host of 2021 starters set for free agency. The Bucs have barely $2MM in cap space. By placing Brady on their reserve/retired list after June 1, however, the Bucs can move $24MM of his dead-money charge to 2023. It seems that is where this is headed, for the time being.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Cooper, Panthers, Croom
A couple weeks ago, we wrote about the NFL finalizing plans for a regular season game to take place in Germany. Well, according to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the home team of that game will be none other than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
No word has been announced yet on who their opponent will be, but the Super Bowl LV champions will be present at FC Bayern Munich Stadium next season. The NFL will have one more game in Munich and two in Frankfurt over the following three seasons.
The 2022 NFL season will see four other games on foreign soil. In addition to the game in Germany, England will host three games and the league will return to Mexico City for the first time since 2019.
Here are a few other notes from around the NFC, starting with a note out of the Lone Star State:
- Cowboys’ wide receiver Amari Cooper carried a $22MM cap hit in the 2021 NFL season, the highest of any receiver last year. His contract is set up to continue carrying that weight for the remaining three years of his deal. What changes is that, were Dallas to cut the free agent addition before the 2021 season, they would be left with $28MM of dead cap, whereas cutting him before March 20, 2022, would leave them with $6MM of dead cap. Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News wrote about the Cowboys’ designed “escape hatch” in an article this past week.
- The Panthers mutually parted ways with director of pro personnel Matt Allen this weekend, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Allen started as a scouting assistant in 2009 and worked his way up until he was promoted into his most recent role in 2017. Allen was one of the last few holdovers from the Jerry Richardson-era, as Allen was actually a grandson of Richardson.
- After spending the 2021 season on injured reserve, tight end Jason Croom is progressing steadily in his recovery from a torn ACL, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. This was Croom’s second full season spent on IR as the former undrafted free agent also sat out his sophomore season in Buffalo. He is set to hit the free agent market as he works toward a full recovery.
Buccaneers’ Ali Marpet To Retire
The Bucs have at least one more starter to replace. On Sunday, Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet announced his retirement from the NFL.
“After seven formidable years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I’ve come to the decision to retire from the game that has given me so much,” Marpet wrote on Instagram. “This organization and the people surrounding it have helped not only fulfill a dream, but also helped build me into the person I am today. I’ve made Tampa Bay my home and I look forward to serving this community in the coming years. To the coaches and teammates, family and friends, an Instagram post simply can’t express the profound impact you’ve had on me. I’m eternally grateful. Thank you Tampa Bay.”
Marpet joined the Bucs as a second-round pick in 2015. Ever since, he’s spent his entire career in Tampa. The lineman has started each of his 101 games since entering the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 campaign where he started each of his 13 regular season games and all four of his postseason contests. This past season, he suited up for 16 regular season contests en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
This announcement comes as a huge surprise — Marpet won’t turn 29 until April and is arguably coming off of his best season yet. Last year, he allowed just two sacks in total while collecting only four penalty flags. And, in his 16 regular season games, Pro Football Focus assigned him an 86.3 score for his run-blocking, matching his own personal best.
Marpet still had two years and nearly $20MM to go on his contract, but he’ll be leaving all of that on the table as he turns his attention to new endeavors. His retirement will give the Buccaneers some additional space to work with, but it won’t be easy to replace his production. Meanwhile, they may have to make other moves on the offensive line with center Ryan Jensen and right guard Alex Cappa scheduled for free agency.