Bruce Arians Talks “Ultimate Pro”
November 18th, 2020
Will Team Glazer open the vault?
With six games remaining in the season, Bucco Bruce Arians was gushing yesterday about one of the team’s soon-to-be free agents, a player beloved by fans and a guy who is garnering new levels of respect.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin is that guy, and he’s three weeks removed from broken-finger surgery with two post-op games under his belt.
Sunday, Godwin caught all six balls sent in his direction, and despite injuries this season, he’s caught a whopping 83 percent of his targets.
Godwin’s play is not lost on Arians, who can’t say enough about what he’s witnessing.
“It was fantastic. Some of those catches were not easy, a couple of one-handers,” Arians told his Bucs Total Access host Casey Phillips, “And like you said, with pins in his fingers, it just makes it unbelievable that he’s even out there. But to perform like that with it and block, Chris is the ultimate pro.”
Previously, general manager Jason Licht has called Godwin the ideal Buccaneer, basically an prototype player in every way.
The 2017 third-round pick is a true young No. 1 receiver of Pro Bowl caliber, and those guys earn in the neighborhood of $20 million annually. This year, Godwin is pulling in a shade over $2 million.
Joe is just going to enjoy Godwin’s play for the rest of this season and let the Bucs worry about whether they want to let a 24-year-old stud walk for no good reason.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:13 am
I Say Godwin stays and ME13 will eventually gets traded
November 18th, 2020 at 7:20 am
If the Bucs try to offer him a team friendly contract I am sure he will test free agency. Sign him please. Start at 15 mil a year and keep going up until he signs.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:23 am
Godwin is a stud, but not a number one wr. Too small.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:24 am
You reap what you sow…..chickens come home to roost…..all of those sayings..
I have stated that we should have taken care of Godwin this year….but no, no, no…..I hear….we’ve got him under contract so why worry?
We could have extended him given him a nice raise this year and saved on the longer term contract…..but we are all-in this year……signing Gronk etc instead.
OK….I’ll buy that….but only if we go deep into the playoffs.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:24 am
Unless we get a QB post Brady none of these guys will be able to make a true difference in the W column…. Just Use Mr Winston as a guide
November 18th, 2020 at 7:27 am
They won’t let Godwin walk, but I will bet Mike Evans asks to be traded end of year if he doesn’t get 1,000 yards and a deep playoff run with a lot of glory. He’s already restructured his stuff, so I’d not say he’s wrong to do so. But it’s obscene money for all playing a kid’s game, but still, he didn’t have to do it. But there can only by ONE #1 WR in reality if you don’t have a guy on his rookie salary. Other guys are probably on their last hurrah in the NFL…perhaps TB12 and NS93…others I’m sure. This is the year…
November 18th, 2020 at 7:35 am
Too small? There was a guy in the Bucs division that was too small. ice up son, ice up.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:38 am
If Dirk would have put him in the slot ahead of Hump, he would have blown up quicker. But whatever he is a stud that barring a career threatening injury is going to back up the brinks truck to 1 Buccaneer Palace this offseason and be a lot richer man. GO CHRIS AND BACK UP THE BRINKS TRUCK LOL!!!! GO BUCS!!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 7:38 am
Sign him to the exact same extension as Mike Evans.
Its fair and square.
Same contract as Mike! Make it happen!
November 18th, 2020 at 7:40 am
And by the way.
Who called the switch to Shipley at center and Jensen at guard?
Your boy Teacherman.
Now put Cappa on the bench and keep Jensen and Marpet at guard and we got a chance!!
November 18th, 2020 at 7:56 am
Nobody knows what’s happening with cap space next year. Most, if not all NFL teams are going to have to make cuts and have difficult conversations with some star players. Signing a dude to a huge contract right now is dumb, no matter how worthy he is of the big digits.
November 18th, 2020 at 7:57 am
The salary cap is probably only going to get dinged temporarily. You can sign these guys to long term deals that accommodate a lower number next year, but the long term guaranteed value is still there.
Since the Bucs window is small (is what I’m told), then you can still have all these valuable guys on the team at low cap figures next year. Then worry about the rebuild in 3-5 years, when their pay is much higher, and you have to play with a few more untested pieces, but the cap will likely be much higher.
If you get a 5 year, $100,000,000 deal that’s guaranteed $60,0000,000, with a $20,000,000 signing bonus up front, the base salary can be $5,000,000-$10,000,000 in year 1, and it’s still doable for the elite player.
November 18th, 2020 at 8:06 am
I predict he signs before the BUCS final game of the year, whenever that may be (long playoff run)…
November 18th, 2020 at 8:24 am
Teacherman- tell ya what, both Marpet and Jensen at guard would be STRONG, Capps has improved a lot but in no way he is the road grater that Jensen is. If there is no discernible drop off at center (while snapping the football better) then that seems like a strong ass move to me
November 18th, 2020 at 8:42 am
No way he walks. The Bucs will have to get rid of some of their weapons next year to stay under the cap, but Godwin will not be one of them. Gronkowski, OJ, and Brown all come to mind. Keep the core, Rojo, Evans, Godwin, and Brate, together. They’re solid and will be an asset for whatever QB is under center next year.
November 18th, 2020 at 8:46 am
With 30 mill in cap next year, we have to sign lavonte, Chris and probably Shaq as priority… Unfortunately chances are somebody walks.
I hope it’s not Chris or Lavonte, but after looking for a pass rusher for so many years idk how you let Shaq walk out the door
November 18th, 2020 at 9:25 am
gotta keep him at all cost…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 18th, 2020 at 9:47 am
If the NFLPA has a lick of sense, and if the players start early, they can lobby the Commish for a temp cap increase for next year so bring some stability back to the rosters, even if it’s smoke and mirrows. The owners would have to agree, and under some PR pressure they may, especially if they want to see normalcy in 2021. Amend the CBA “for the betterment of NFL players impacted, and for the fans who endured the odd year and still support.” Even $10M will make a LOT of difference, especially in this case. Start now.
November 18th, 2020 at 9:48 am
No need to worry about next year until the 2021 cap number is leaked.
November 18th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
@gofortheface30
Thanks! Cappa got great experience these past 2 years.
His time will come. And he can backup Marpet and Jensen.
He has even gotten snaps at center.
We need a better run game.
We need Jensen and Marpet at guard.
November 18th, 2020 at 1:55 pm
I trust Licht again and I don’t see any way that he lets Godwin walk out the door. Godwin will be franchised at the minimum. If that costs us David and Suh, I can live with that.
November 18th, 2020 at 5:42 pm
Godwin has Cooper Kupp/ Robert Woods production and they have been signed to multi year deals of $15-$16 million/ year.