Sure-handed wide receiver Chris Godwin is due for a contract extension soon. After the 2020 season, Godwin will become an unrestricted free agent. I suspect general manager Jason Licht and the Buccaneers front office will try and lock up Godwin before that time comes.
Godwin’s Stats
Last season, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans proved to be the best wide receiver duo in the entire NFL. Here is a look at Godwin’s impressive numbers from last season.
Games: 14
Receptions: 86
Yards: 1333
Yards per Catch: 15.5
Touchdowns: 9
Tom Brady’s Influence
Now with Tom Brady under center for at least the next two seasons, Godwin’s role in the offense will remain very important. Brady is known to target his slot receivers often, a role Julian Edelman played for Brady for 11 seasons. Godwin performed very well while lined up in the slot last season, which accounted for 50.5% of his snaps.
By the Numbers
Godwin’s projected cap hit for the 2020 season is just $2,331,041. With the recent re-signing of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Tampa Bay has about $15 million in cap remaining for the 2020 season. Draft picks will likely take up about half of that, leaving $7-8 million to potentially sweeten up Godwin’s contract for the upcoming season. An example of how this could work out for both Godwin and the team is as follows:
Ex: Godwin signs a 4-year extension through the 2024 season for $72 million. Tampa Bay could give Godwin a $6 million dollar raise in 2020 to even things out to about a 4-year $66 million deal.
Potential Contract Details
2020 Cap Hit: $8.23 million
2021 Cap Hit: $16.5 million
2022 Cap Hit: $16.5 million
2023 Cap Hit: $16.5 million
2024 Cap Hit: $16.5 million
This would make an already phenomenal off-season even sweeter. Locking up an already elite 24-year old receiver in Chris Godwin to pair with the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. It would also still leave Tampa Bay with about $2 million in case they want to make one more off-season depth signing.
