Bruce Arians, Tom Brady And Chris Godwin
May 21st, 2021
Ranking to celebrate.
If Chris Godwin were smart (and he seems to be very sharp), he’d buy Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians a few bottles of Crown Royal Reserve and buy Tom Brady a few gallons of avocado ice cream.
Why? Because Arians and Brady have made Godwin a wealthy young man.
Godwin was already a dangerous receiver when Arians arrived in Tampa Bay. But Arians moving Godwin to slot made Godwin into one of the best receivers in the league.
And last season? Well, Brady helped get Godwin franchise tagged, a one-year salary that came out to a make-it-rain night on the Las Vegas strip shy of $16 million for 2021.
Based on NextGen stats, Nick Shook of NFL.com has Godwin rated as the NFL’s No. 3 receiver.
…Thanks to the presence of Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and a late arrival from Antonio Brown, the Penn State product enjoyed less attention from defenders, seeing press coverage on just 10.5 percent of routes run in 2020, the fifth-lowest rate among receivers running at least 300 routes in the league. Once seen as a weapon primarily down the deep middle of the field — Godwin caught 14 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown on 24 post route targets since 2019 (the third-most post route targets in the league in that span) — Godwin flourished by doing it all in 2020, posting a catch rate 10.3 percent above expectation while also catching 10-plus receptions on crosses, screens and hitches in 2020 (and nine on out routes). Godwin was a highly productive option for Brady, too, helping him post a 131.1 passer rating when targeting the receiver in their first season together. With Godwin consistently exceeding expectation, he put together an excellent season as a secondary option in Tampa’s loaded offense.
Interestingly, Godwin was Shook’s only Bucs representative in the top-10. Again, Shook based his list on NextGen stats, so something in NextGen stats about Mike Evans shook Shook.
The stat Shook had that Godwin was only pressed on 10 percent of his routes is interesting to Joe. Of course, Godwin could be a free agent (again) come next March. Joe hopes teams will use that stat against Godwin to maybe temper his price tag.
That way it would be easier for the Bucs to keep Godwin.
If the Bucs do win another Super Bowl, Joe cannot imagine any Bucs free agent not going to the highest bidder next spring.
May 21st, 2021 at 2:07 pm
If you’ve ever seen the new Mrs. Godwin then you know he’s a genius, probably the president of our local Mensa chapter.
May 21st, 2021 at 2:43 pm
Not allowing 25 yr old stud WR’s to walk in free agency should be a priority for any team, even if you have to overpay and franchise them. Now CG’s got to straighten out his “drops” issue. We all understand he’s much too talented a player to have that occur again.
May 21st, 2021 at 2:46 pm
We paid the price by not extending Godwin last year….but it was worth it because we won it all.
Licht needs to try to find a way to sign Godwin to a long-term contract but Godwin is holding all the cards with the franchise tag guarantee……Licht will have to pay him or tag him again (20S%more)……or lose him with getting anything for him.
May 21st, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Godwin is a stud
Hoping brady to evans connection is better next year and it should. They were a little off and evans was injured for good portions of year
May 21st, 2021 at 3:06 pm
You have to figure Gronk is going to retire after next season, so that free’s up some cash, and probably AB will move on as well. That should leave plenty of cash to sign CG to a long term deal.
May 21st, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Leadership is important. That’s why I had issues with McCoy. He talked about being a leader but never led. He tolerated too much crap from his defense. I think if he would’ve been a bit more like Brady, the Bucs may have had a winning season or two.
May 21st, 2021 at 4:08 pm
Hopefully the cap goes up significantly next year so that we can keep Chris, but I wouldn’t pay him like a star unless he stays healthy for the entire season. Being injured and missing games two years in a row is a huge red flag.
May 21st, 2021 at 4:52 pm
Gronk will play as long as Brady… they want to go into HOF together 👍🏻
May 21st, 2021 at 5:11 pm
What a great issue to have, the only answer is to continue to draft the best players to fit our scheme no matter what round and to trade, cut and sign new players when it’s necessary!
May 21st, 2021 at 7:21 pm
Pro Football Reference has Chris Godwin with a 77.4 catch % last year.
In all my research of top receivers I can’t find one higher.
May 21st, 2021 at 9:47 pm
Some of you guys making a big deal out of Chris’s few drops all of which came when his fingers were taped from his injury. 👋 you need a full hand to catch proficiently. I would remark how ignorant you are but I’ll choose the high road lmao.
May 21st, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Not sure I have ever seen an NFL team so talent-loaded on both sides of the ball, especially offense.
If we stay moderately healthy in 2021, Bucs are nightmare for opponents coordinators to plan around. Would love another Brady/Mahomes SB. Bucs win again…
May 21st, 2021 at 10:24 pm
AB after knee is just one year for me. Sign Godwin to be the heir apparent to ME. To find the missing pieces- the filler – just look to Darden Johnson and Miller.
May 21st, 2021 at 10:29 pm
Godwin gets hurt because of how he gives up his body to catch poorly thrown balls that he has to dive into the dirt to catch. He also often takes big hits across the middle. The guy is fearless and acrobatic. Sure he drops a few but he also catches throws that are too high or too wide or low and away. Both he and Evans can both sky above most dbs.
May 21st, 2021 at 11:35 pm
Brady will target everyone but Godwin so his value will go down do to lack of production. Godwin signs a long term deal less that expected and brady throws to him more in 2022 and Godwin is comeback player of the year while the Bucs become the first team to 3 peat.
May 22nd, 2021 at 7:26 am
@Dewey Selmon. That sounds like a Belichek move. Lol. I will always believe that Belichek tried to devalue Brady somewhat in his latter years.
May 22nd, 2021 at 10:00 am
Win now !! There is no season except this one.
May 23rd, 2021 at 7:48 pm
It’s crazy. This guy is super talented and is a #1 WR on any other team. What concerns me is that all season he didn’t really have Andy drops even with his broken thumb or finger but come playoff time he dropped quit a few. Hope the lights arnt to bright for the young man