Tag: Chris Godwin

Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers immediately improves his fantasy football value

At 43 years old in the 2020 season, does Tom Brady have enough left for one more elite fantasy season?

(David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to sign former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to an undisclosed deal that will pay him at least $30 million per year, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. According to his sources, the only thing holding up the finalization of the contract is TB12 making it official that he’ll be a member of the TB Bucs.

The pluses for are huge from a fantasy football perspective. New England has far more question marks going into the summer months, when it comes to offensive personnel, and the talent disparity is readily evident. Tampa Bay’s wide receivers are arguably the best in the business, led by Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Free-agent wideout Breshad Perriman could return, as well, after showing he can get it done late last season. Toss in tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate to create one of the most dangerous passing games in league.

Brady, who’ll be 43 years old come Week 1, has lost a smidge of his deep-ball ability, but his accuracy remains surgical, and there’s more football knowledge between those years than anyone can imagine. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians loves to sling the ball, but he may need to manage Brady’s arm reps, at least in practice. It begs the question about a trustworthy checkdown. Brady at his best has had slot guys like Julian Edelman and Wes Welker that he can throw to in his sleep, and this team’s personnel is geared toward Arians’ “no risk it, no biscuit” vertical mentality of driving the ball down the field.

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The six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback will play behind a quality offensive line, ranked seventh by ProFootballFocus.com. Right tackle Demar Dotson is a free agent and is hardly irreplaceable. The position is deep in the draft, and there are a few respectable free agents available if Dotson doesn’t return. The interior combination of center Ryan Jensen and left guard Ali Marpet combined to rank as the second-best duo for pass protection up the middle, per PFF.

Running back is in dire need of an upgrade. Peyton Barber is a free agent, and Ronald Jones was hit or miss last season. The draft or free agency could turn around the fortunes of this running game in a hurry, though. The running game doesn’t need to be elite, although a reliable backfield is the best way to help keep Brady’s arm from falling off … if the Bucs win it all in 2020 with the GOAT throwing it 650-plus times, something tells me Arians won’t care in hindsight. For the record, Brady threw 613 passes vs. the 626 Jameis Winston tossed for the Bucs last year.

The system itself is likely to be tailored to Brady’s preferences for methodical passing, slowing matriculating up the field with checkdowns to backs, underneath routes to the slot receivers, and chain-moving throws to the tight end position. Arians’ offenses never have been great for tight ends, and Howard was an unmitigated disaster most of 2019. Brate was serviceable went called upon.

Arians has worked with marquee quarterbacks before, including Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning, and he resurrected Carson Palmer’s career. Arians is known for his creativity in the passing game, and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has received praise for his hand in the explosive system. There’s plenty to like about the combination of these coaches and Brady’s talents.

Tampa Bay has an up-and-coming defense under coordinator Todd Bowles, and two teams in this division are trending the wrong way. New Orleans will be the primary competition for Brady’s Bucs. Outside of two AFC powerhouses, Brady’s former conference is wide open. It will be much tougher to succeed in the NFC’s parity-laced talent distribution.

Fantasy football outlook

At 43 years old in the 2020 season, does Brady have enough left for one more elite fantasy season? He finished 14th last year in what surely can be classified as a down season. The weaponry has dramatically improved with Brady’s move, and the 2019 iteration of this team posted the second-best fantasy football passer numbers in the league.

Fantasy football drafters should bump Brady up into the lower tier of No. 1 fantasy passers, although it would be foolish to not add a top-flight backup in case he proves to be mortal.

One thing should be for certain in this situation: Never underestimate the cavernous chip on Brady’s shoulder.

Bucs signing Tom Brady may make things awkward for Chris Godwin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin may find himself in an awkward situation should the team sign QB Tom Brady in free agency.

Leagues around the world may be putting things on hold right now because of the coronavirus pandemic, but as of now, NFL free agency is still set to begin next week.

For the first time in ages, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may actually be big-time players in the market, with a chance of landing the greatest quarterback in NFL history in Tom Brady. Several experts believe the Bucs can offer Brady a great chance to win now given their experienced head coach and the fact they have one of the league’s most high-powered offenses, led by wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Both Evans and Godwin eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last season, so adding a guy like Brady could potentially make this Tampa Bay offense even better, which is a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.

But, if Brady were to sign with the Bucs, it might make things a bit awkward for Godwin. Why? Well, because he currently dons the No. 12 jersey Brady has made famous and a part of his TB12 brand.

And, it’s not like Godwin just chose the number at random when he was drafted by the Bucs in 2017. He wore the number at Middletown High School in Delaware and at Penn State.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

While I’m sure Brady would be more than willing to rent the number from the Bucs’ star wideout for a season or two, he’d have to make him a pretty sweet offer, especially when you consider Godwin’s star is on the rise.

Fortunately, I’m sure Brady can afford it.

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Cynthia Frelund discusses the greatness of the Bucs receiving corps

See why Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com believes the Buccaneers are in the best shape of any NFL team when it comes to their receiving corps.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be faced with a number of daunting questions this offseason, like what to do with Jameis Winston and whether or not to franchise tag Shaq Barrett, there’s one area they seem to be just fine in: wide receiver.

The Bucs led the NFL again in 2019 with the league’s best passing attack, as Tampa Bay averaged 320.4 receiving yards per game. Much of that can be attributed to the seasons of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both of whom surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Not to be forgotten, too, was Breshad Perriman, who finished 2019 with 36 receptions for 645 yards and six touchdowns. Perriman will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and ESPN has him pegged as one of the more underrated players available on the market.

Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com examined every team’s receiver situation, and, not surprisingly, her analytics showed that the Bucs clearly had the best duo in the game.

Per Frelund:

“No wide receiver duo created a higher win share in my model than Evans and Godwin last season. The Bucs are another team that doesn’t need to devote huge resources to changing the receiving corps, especially considering the Tampa receivers’ air yards-per-target mark of 13.9 ranked best in the NFL, per NGS. And also, there’s Bruce Arians.”

Evans hitting 1,000 yards has become the norm, as it was the Pro Bowler’s sixth-straight season hitting that mark, tying him with Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most by a receiver to begin his career.

Godwin, meanwhile, enjoyed his first 1,000-yard season in his third year. Despite being sidelined with a hamstring injury for the final two games of the season, Godwin still finished the year with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns, career highs across the board.

One thing’s for sure — whoever the Bucs have under center in 2020, he’s going to have a lot to work with thanks to these two.

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Adam Rank calls Bucs WR Chris Godwin ‘the next great NFL receiver’

See why Adam Rank of NFL.com thinks Bucs WR Chris Godwin is poised to be the next great receiver in the NFL.

The biggest question surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, as in years past, is what to do with quarterback Jameis Winston. The 2015 number one overall pick has failed to live up to expectations in Tampa, but a 5,000-plus yard passing season in 2019 has some fans clamoring for his return. Then again, Winston also threw 30 interceptions, becoming the first QB in league history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season.

Head coach Bruce Arians seemed to indicate last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that he and the team know what they are doing at the quarterback position, they just haven’t let anyone else in on the secret, including Winston.

Regardless of who is under center for the Bucs in 2020, the quarterback will have plenty to work with thanks to Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both of whom eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season, despite missing the final weeks of the season due to separate hamstring injuries.

While Evans has made a career out of posting 1,000-yard seasons, literally, it was the first one for Godwin, the third-year receiver out of Penn State. He was so impressive in fact, that Adam Rank of NFL.com had Godwin on his list of untradeable players.

Per Rank:

“There are times I might be blinded by a player’s fantasy appeal, and this might one of those times. Still, it feels like Godwin, 24, is the next great NFL receiver after he recorded 86 receptions, which was tied for the third highest total in club history, outpacing three-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans in catches, yards and touchdowns in 2019. Godwin is just getting started with coach Bruce Arians, as well, so that has to be noted. The quarterback position is obviously in flux, with Jameis Winston — fresh off LASIK surgery — headed for free agency. But the team could also be in the mix for veterans such as Brady and Philip Rivers, and one thing most people would find attractive about playing in Tampa Bay would be Godwin’s presence. And Evans’. And those new uniforms. But mostly Godwin.

There’s Tom Brady’s name again linking him to the Bucs. As I wrote about yesterday, the NFL should be hoping Brady goes to Tampa Bay because of the star power the NFC South would have at quarterback. Plus, Brady loves tight ends and O.J. Howard is looking for a little redemption of his own.

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Mike Evans and Chris Godwin clear their physicals

During Tuesday’s press conference, coach Bruce Arians stated that both of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ superstar wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, whom ended the 2019 season on IR both respectively with hamstring injuries, have cleared their …

During Tuesday’s press conference, coach Bruce Arians stated that both of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ superstar wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, whom ended the 2019 season on IR both respectively with hamstring injuries, have cleared their physicals.

Godwin finished the 2019 season with 14 games played totaling a stat line of 1,333 yards on 86 receptions to go along with nine touchdowns. Potentially even more impressive considering that Godwin finished third in receiving yards only behind the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones, who played in 15 games, and the New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas, who was available for all 16 regular season games.

Evans finished his season a week prior with the same hamstring injury, and missed the remaining three games of the regular season. Ultimately, Evans would finish the year out with 1,157 receiving yards, 67 catches and eight touchdowns. Evans going over the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth time in just as many seasons put him in the rare company of Randy Moss as the only players ever to do so.

With the passing of their physicals, that gives the Buccaneers front office a breath of fresh air, as hamstring injuries have so many uncertainties that go along with them.

Chris Godwin is here to provide you with some Monday motivation

See what Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin posted on his Instagram today for #MotivationMonday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chris Godwin had one of the biggest breakout seasons of 2019. The third-year pro out of Penn State put up career numbers with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors in the process.

Head coach Bruce Arians has said that signing Godwin to an extension is “high” on the team’s list of offseason priorities, but don’t think for a second that a new hefty contract is going to stifle Godwin’s drive for greatness.

The receiver took to Instagram today to post this motivational quote on his story. Take a look.

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This mock draft has Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy coming to the Bucs, but there’s a catch

In Josh Edwards’ latest mock draft for CBS Sports, he predicts the Bucs find a replacement for Chris Godwin in Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the 14th pick in April’s NFL draft, and after hitting a home run with their rookie class in 2019, big things are expected from Tampa Bay’s front office when they’re on the clock in 2020.

The Bucs have several pressing needs that need to be addressed, both along the offensive line and defensive front, with guys like Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul slated to hit the open market.

While Tampa Bay’s draft needs will become clearer once free agency starts, many early mock drafts seem to think the Bucs will go with either an offensive tackle or pass rusher. But, in Josh Edwards’ latest mock draft over at CBS Sports, the Bucs wind up taking the player many had as an early favorite to go No. 1 overall in 2020: Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy.

But, getting Jeudy would seemingly come at a cost for wide receiver Chris Godwin.

Per Edwards:

“I know Tampa Bay has bigger needs but no Buccaneers fan could complain if Jeudy fell into their laps at No. 14 overall with or without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Godwin will be a free agent after the 2020 season and would require a hefty contract extension. It would not be fiscally responsible to pay up with so many other needs.”

Several experts, including ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, think that locking up Godwin with an extension is a high priority for the team this offseason. Head coach Bruce Arians has even said the same thing. Also, why would you bring in an unproven (pro) receiver when Godwin just had a breakout year and has already proven his worth? Godwin had a career year across the board in 2019, finishing with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns.

Plus, he’s Mike Evans’ Fortnite buddy. You can’t break up the squad!

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Inside the Stats: Wide Receivers

Inside the stats for wide receivers

Wide receivers are impacted by the offensive scheme they play in and of course, the quality of their quarterback. Their total numbers are greatly aided playing in an offense that has to (or at least wants to) throw the ball a lot. Michael Thomas on the Ravens would still be very good. But he probably would not be catching 149 passes if he played for the Ravens. These metrics are very interesting in assessing player talent and value since they measure characteristics outside of just catches and yards. Particularly when a receiver is young and still improving. Having a great quarterback is a tremendous advantage for generating stats, but that doesn’t matter much when considering yards after catch, broken tackles and drops.

Notable Wide Receivers

A.J. Brown – The rookie came on strong for the Titans with Ryan Tannehill as the starter and his measurables attest to just how good he was. His 20.1 yards per catch was tops and he ranked among the best at almost every category. Barring some unforeseen change to their offense, Brown looks like everyone’s sleeper pick for 2020.

Chris Godwin – He was a delightful surprise last year taking advantage of not being Mike Evans but he clearly did plenty on his own – not just enjoying lesser coverage. He was sure-handed with top marks in all areas and was more reliable than almost any other receiver.

Amari Cooper – He’s angling for a big payday and he had several nice showings. But compared to other wideouts, Cooper’s only top mark was how far down the field he caught the ball – not what he did with it after the catch.

Curtis Samuel – Another receiver that some expect to be a sleeper. But he did not rank highly in anything and troublesome were his drops and low yards after the catch. His 51% catch rate ranked dead last among 50-catch receivers.

Deebo Samuel – The rookie had a promising season that started slowly and his lower marks came from the short passing scheme and a higher number of dropped passes. But Samuel improved during the season and ended up with a 70% catch rate and rated great in yards after catch (8.3) and broken tackles (7).

Julian Edelman –  He contended with injuries during the season but it was still disappointing to see him with the highest drops and one of the lowest yards after the catch. Maybe Edelman is getting old. Maybe Tom Brady is not throwing the same ball.

Mohamed Sanu – Bad marks across the board. Are we sure Tom Brady still has it?

Terry McLaurin – The rookie was effective on a bad offense and even ranked highly in yards per catch.

Tyler Lockett – His 75% catch rate was second only to the pass sponge Michael Thomas. And he only dropped two passes all year.

Mike Evans feels ‘blessed’ to do what he does

Check out this video Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans recently posted to his Instagram.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans had himself another historic season. The franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards had his sixth-straight 1,000-yard receiving season, which made him the only player in NFL history besides Randy Moss to start their career that way.

Evans played in just 13 games this past season before being sidelined with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts. He collected 67 receptions for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns, earning himself another Pro Bowl selection.

And, with the emergence of third-year receiver Chris Godwin, Evans could find himself putting up even bigger numbers in 2017. Tampa Bay, which hasn’t made the postseason since 2007, has their sights set on the playoffs in 2020 after a strong finish to last season.

As Evans prepares for another grueling offseason, he took some time to post the below video and caption on Instagram, thanking fans for the love and saying he feels blessed to do what he does.

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Chris Godwin lands at No. 20 on PFF’s list of the top 101 players of 2019

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin was named one of the top 20 players in the NFL in 2019.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not have been postseason participants this year, but their season felt like a win in many ways, namely, that they managed to avoid a third-straight 5-11 season by going 7-9, including 4-2 down the stretch.

While quarterback Jameis Winston’s 5,000-yard-30-interception season was the main storyline of the Bucs’ 2019 season, the emergence of third-year receiver Chris Godwin cannot be overlooked.

Godwin finished the year with career highs across the board: 86 receptions, 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns in just 14 games. His stellar play earned him the No. 20 spot on Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 101 players from the 2019 season.

Here’s what they had to say about the Bucs’ star receiver:

“This season, Chris Godwin emerged as one of the best receivers in all of football, and he was a human highlight reel in Tampa Bay where Jameis Winston was intent on airing the ball out and only vaguely concerned with whether the ball went close to its intended receiver. Godwin caught 75.4% of his targets (while Jameis completed just 60.7% of all his passes) and had just one drop all season despite making several circus catches. Overall, when targeting Godwin, Winston had a passer rating of 121.7.”

Fellow Bucs receiver Mike Evans landed at No. 49:

“Due to injury, Mike Evans played as many as 200 fewer snaps than some of the other wideouts on this list, and yet, he still finished the year with 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns. Evans gained 2.3 yards per route run this season and formed the league’s most explosive receiver tandem with Chris Godwin in Bruce Arians’ high-octane passing offense in Tampa. Evans made some of the biggest catches of the year for the Bucs and makes the PFF Top 101 for the fourth time in his career.”

Shockingly, Tampa Bay linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who led the NFL in sacks this past season with 19.5, did not make this list. Talk about a snub.

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