The Value Of Chris Godwin

February 22nd, 2022

YAC value.

Want to know how good of a receiver Bucs free agent Chris Godwin is? If you value YAC, you value Godwin.

Joe thinks it is safe to say Cooper Kupp is the best receiver in the game. You just know every week every defensive coordinator preparing for the Rams circles the guy’s number on a whiteboard and hollers they have to stop him. But nobody does. Or, in reality, nobody can.

Devante Adams is damn good. Only reason he hasn’t done more damage in the playoffs is that he has a drama queen choke artist for a quarterback.

Deebo Samuel is really good and he seems to be everyone’s favorite flavor of the season.

Then there’s Godwin, as far as YAC goes (yards after catch). The aforementioned receivers were all top-three in the NFL in YAC since the start of the 2019 season. Godwin ranks No. 4.

Would the Bucs really let No. 4 walk out the door?

Or more importantly, would the No. 4 receiver in YAC return to a team turning to a journeyman never-been or a guy who has never been active for a game as his team’s quarterback?

The free agency dinner bell rings on March 16.

25 Responses to “The Value Of Chris Godwin”

  1. GenocideD Says:

    And he’s in the no.4 spot even after getting hurt and being out several weeks

  2. Rotten Amiigo94 Says:

    Something tells me if he didn’t have Evans Gronk and AB he’d be leading this category.

  3. Mike Johnson Says:

    The only way we keep Chris is not to go after a QB. And Arians wants a vet QB. d Chris wants to get paid. You cannot blame him. I suspect he’s gone if we get the QB we want.

  4. adam from ny Says:

    you can easily hypothetically bump him up into the #2 position due to two factors:

    – injuries the past couple years kept him out
    – our receiver group needed their targets as well

    so he’s right there with all these guys

    #BallerGodwin

  5. Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:

    Chris is a complete player, and besides being an awesome receiver, he is also a great blocker!
    He would be a number one receiver on most any team!
    I was so glad we drafted him because of what he did to my Michigan Wolverines, back when he was at Penn State!
    WE can not afford to lose him, so I hope we do whatever it takes to sign him.

  6. adam from ny Says:

    you have to bring in a “proven” qb

    that’s the word i saw another poster post, and it’s right on point…

    we are a team that must have a “proven” qb…

    no more “goodwill” thrift store qb’s please…

    #WordToTheBird

  7. Robert Says:

    let him walk. love the guy……but he’s not a true number 1 and whats the piont in paying two WR’s top money with a rookie at QB just getting his feet wet.

    ME want more jump balls anywayz.

    stock picks, total rebuild.

  8. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Who our QB is way down the list of priorities….much too much is made of this

    Priority 1 Money
    Priority 2 Money
    Priority 3 Money
    Priority 4 Money
    Priority 5 Team, teammates ,market
    Priority 6 Money
    Priority 110 QB

    Godwin is our most important FA….he makes all other receivers better….we absolutely must sign nim

    I’ll repeat….we should have signed him to an extension during his 4th year….and we didn’t…..now paying a huge price.

  9. unbelievable Says:

    @Rotten & Adam-

    That goes both ways.

    Without Evans (or Gronk and AB the last 2 seasons), Godwin would be seeing more double teams, more of opposing teams #1 cornerbacks, etc.

  10. allbuccedup Says:

    Sign Godwin spread the money down the road, sign Justin Britt center to a one year 3mil, sign Michael Scholfield to a one year 2 mil, sign James White to a one year 2 mil. Offense done. Defense Gholston 4 mil, Suh 7 mil Casey Heyward 5 mil. Defense done. That adds up to about 35 mil. Then about another couple of mil for backups and Bruces drinking buddies. Ok Licht you and your staff get out your magic pens.

  11. Dapostman Says:

    Chris Godwin = Hines Ward

    So how valuable do you think Hines Ward was to the Steelers success?

  12. Bobby M. Says:

    I think Bucs will get a deal done with Godwin….its going to come down to guaranteed money which I believe Bucs will match. Frankly they have no choice…without Godwin there’s ZERO chance Brady comes back and not much appeal to any other available option.

  13. Bqen green Says:

    Part of that yac, is Brady’s incredible ball placement. allbuccedup, Ben likes your allocation of funds. Ben has yet to see a cap problem that can’t be fixed on a cocktail napkin.

  14. SOEbuc Says:

    Godwin is a Wirfs WR downfield.

  15. Craig Says:

    I would rather have him here, than watch him play us.

    At the same time, I would not break the bank for him. Present him with a decent contract, with a mess of incentives, and give him two weeks to sign it. I am pretty sure he would sign a slightly lesser deal to stay here, not state income tax is a wonderful thing.

  16. Pewter Says:

    Godwin is young enough that the Bucs can realistically offer a long term contract, that wouldn’t be offered to an older player. The contract can be structured so that the first couple years are easy on the cap hit…it shouldn’t prevent the Bucs from re-signing some other FAs or acquiring a moderately-priced QB. The Bucs know Godwin’s value to the team, and will try their best to re-sign him. They already need a #3 WR (presumably in the draft). The ball is in Godwin’s hands, if he wants to stay.

  17. Rod Munch Says:

    YAC depends on where you get the ball, and the Bucs threw him a bunch of screens, which greatly inflates your YAC.

    Not saying Godwin isn’t good with the ball in his hands, he is, but that YAC stat is very dependant on where you get the ball. Evans for example, his YAC stinks, but that’s because he’s catching a lot more deep balls where a corner and safety are going to get there right as the ball does. But if Godwin catches a ball 2 yards behind the LOS, ends up with a 7 yard gain, well that’s 9 YAC yards, which is extremely good for a WR, but in reality, it’s a 7 yard gain on a pass play, which is right about the average yardage on a pass play.

  18. Bob in valrico Says:

    One player even if its a QB does not make a team . No better example than Brady who wanted and got Gronk and AB. So I am not for subtracting multiple players to get another player with baggage such as Watson. Minnesota Cousins
    reach was a gamble that I hope we don’ t try.

  19. Tony Says:

    We’re gonna go sign Larry Fitzgerald & Carson Palmer.

  20. Tony Says:

    Maybe we should let Bruce & Licht play QB for awhile & then watch how quick they try & get Brady back.

  21. Tony Says:

    I think we should put Bruce & Licht in there to start & watch how fast they try to bring Brady back.

  22. Tony Says:

    We’re gonna go out & sign Larry Fitzgerald & Carson Palmer.

  23. Defense Rules Says:

    Rod Munch … ‘YAC depends on where you get the ball, and the Bucs threw him a bunch of screens, which greatly inflates your YAC.’

    Don’t disagree with what you’re saying, but in Godwin’s case he seems to have been used a lot differently in 2021 than he was in 2020 or even in 2019 with Jameis.

    In 2019 & 2020 Chris averaged 8.7 Yards Before Catch per Reception. His Yards After Catch per Reception though was 6.3 per reception in 2019, but fell off to 4.3 per reception in 2020.

    But then this past season he only averaged 5.3 Yards Before Catch per Reception, a significant drop (I would assume indicating that he was being used quite a bit differently as Brady’s offense matured in 2021). His YAC per reception rose significantly to 6.0 though (from the 4.3 in 2020). Interestingly, 2021 was the first year where Chris had MORE total yards AFTER the catch (586) than he did BEFORE the catch (517). THAT’S a goldmine.

    No way the Bucs can let a receiver who can do that (and block too) get away.

  24. Corn2002Rings Says:

    Some draft picks after the first round do workout Kelvin House in second round,Chris Godwin in third round.
    Oh , pay the man

  25. Rod Munch Says:

    Defense Rules – Good find on the stats, and I don’t disagree with you at all, they must keep Godwin. What I said wasn’t meant to degrade Godwin in anyway, it was more of an attack on the stat itself which I don’t think is very meaningful.