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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have informed wide receiver Chris Godwin that he will receive the franchise tag, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The tag will cost the Bucs around $ 16.5 million and means they won’t be able to tag outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, who earned $ 15.8 million playing under the franchise label last year. Scoring Barrett again in 2021 would have cost the Bucs $ 18.96 million, 120% more than what they paid last year. Barrett and inside linebacker Lavonte David will both become free agents.
The Bucs will need to make a series of cap saving measures to keep these players, as they only had a planned salary cap of $ 15 million before scoring Godwin, assuming the salary cap is $ 181 million. dollars (the NFL has not set the salary cap. official number for 2021).
A third-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2017, Godwin worked his way to a full-time starting role in the 2019 season, when he reached the Pro Bowl and established himself as one of the most consistent receivers in the league.
His 74% receiving percentage over the past two seasons is the third-highest in the NFL behind only Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints and Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks, and Godwin’s 0.5% drop percentage in the the past two seasons is among the lowest in the NFL. .
Moving indoors to coach Bruce Arians wide receiver in 2019, Godwin finished this season with 1,333 receiving yards – the third most in the NFL despite missing the last two games due to injury. hamstring.
A hamstring injury, concussion and a fractured finger forced him to miss four games in 2020, but he finished with four touchdowns in the last three games of the regular season and led the team with 232 yards on reception and one touchdown in the playoffs as the Bucs won. Super Bowl LV.
Godwin, who turned 25 in February, may not have breakthrough speed, but his consistency as a road racer and ability to focus on contested holds allows him to shine. Quarterback Tom Brady considers Godwin to have “some of the best hands” he’s ever seen.
He has 244 receptions for 3,540 yards and 24 touchdowns in 58 regular-season games over his career.
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