Getty Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be one of the most intriguing free agents in 2022.
With just five games left in the regular season, one of the primary focuses for the Chicago Bears next offseason will likely be to add new pass catchers.
The team’s top wide receiver over the previous three seasons, Allen Robinson, has missed three straight games and hasn’t played since Week 9. While A-Rob had amassed over 3,000 yards in his first three years in Chicago, this season has been a different story, and in addition to his recent hamstring injury, he has seen his numbers drop, catching 30 passes for 339 yards and a TD.
Robinson is also a free agent next season, and while it’s technically possible the Bears will slap the franchise tag on him for a second straight season, the more likely scenario is that Robinson will walk and Chicago will scour the free agent market for a suitable replacement.
The Bears have rookie quarterback Justin Fields waiting in the wings, so it would behoove the team to hook the future of the franchise up with some formidable weapons, and Chris Roling of Bleacher Report thinks current Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin fits the bill perfectly.
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Could Bears Afford Godwin in Free Agency Next Year?
So far this season, Godwin, who turns 26 in February, has 82 catches for 949 yards (11.6 yards per reception) and five touchdowns. He has shown a keen ability to separate, catching 82 passes on 105 targets. He has four drops.
Roling named the Bears one of the top three potential suitors for Godwin in free agency next year (Tampa Bay and the New England Patriots being the other two), and he thinks Chicago might be a prime destination for the current Bucs WR.
“Godwin’s age, plus his ability to make plays down the field independent of quarterback or scheme reliance will make him one of the rare wideouts to get a monster deal on the open market,” Roling wrote on December 6. “There’s a reason Spotrac projects his market value at $17 million per year, just a hair under Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper. On paper, it would make sense for Godwin to leave Tampa Bay to get out of Mike Evans’ shadow, be a passing attack’s unquestioned No. 1 and maximize his earning potential, possibly in a bigger market.”
The Bears are expected to have $44,160,664 in available cap space in 2022, according to Over the Cap. That’s certainly enough to pay for Godwin, although Chicago may have to unload some high-priced veteran talent on defense (Danny Trevathan and Eddie Goldman come to mind) to make a move like that more palatable financially.
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Bears Have Promising Young Talent in Darnell Mooney
Second-year wideout Darnell Mooney has been the team’s top receiver all season, catching 51 passes on 87 targets for 721 yards and three touchdowns. He has shown a keen ability to get open, and his speed is a definite asset, but he does have a few things he has to shore up before he can take his game to the next level. Per PFF, he has three drops on the season (he had just one his entire rookie season), so if he can fix that, the Bears will have at least one promising young wideout on their roster for the next few years.
Pairing someone like Godwin with the emerging Mooney could bode well for a Bears passing attack that is currently ranked dead last in the NFL. Chicago is averaging 173.8 passing yards per game, and that’s not going to win you many games in a league where making big plays is essential. Nabbing a player of Godwin’s caliber — particularly if also paired with a new coaching staff — would be an intriguing prospect for Fields, to say the least. With Robinson likely on the way out, Godwin will be a top name to watch.
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