Bucs Former Pro Bowl WR a Potential Trade Target for NFC Team

Getty The future of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin with the Bucs is up for speculation after the retirement of quarterback Tom Brady.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have far more questions than answers regarding the 2023 NFL offseason.

The trade rumor wheel has already started to turn round and round for the Bucs, where this time the wheel stopped on former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin.

Report Suggests The Bucs Should Consider Trading Chris Godwin

A recent suggestion to trade Godwin comes from a February 1 article from Dan Pizzuta on Sharp Football Analysis, who suggests trading the 26-year-old wide receiver could help Bucs save a significant amount of money, who are projected to be a whopping $55 million dollars over the cap heading into the offseason, and help jump-start a rebuilding effort in the post-Tom Brady era in Tampa Bay.

Pizzuta wrote, “Godwin could be the tipping point for where the Buccaneers envision themselves as a team in the future. He could be the most promising trade chip and Tampa Bay would open up $8.75 million in cap space with a trade but a majority of his remaining money comes from a $20 million salary in 2023 and $18.5 million in 2024.”

Godwin was named to the Pro Bowl back in 2019, but has battled a host of minor injuries in addition to a devastating torn ACL back in December of 2021 but managed to return for the start of the 2022 campaign and produce 104 receptions for 1,023 yards and three scores in 15 games last season.

He is set to turn 27-years-old later this month and certainly could be better than he was last season another year removed from the ACL injury, leading many to think he could valuable asset on the open market if the Bucs decide to they want to embrace a full-blown rebuild for the upcoming season.

“Both of those figures could easily be restructured to a signing bonus and pushed out through the two void years already on Godwin’s deal in 2025 and 2026,” added Pizzuta.

The current uncertainty for the Bucs at the quarterback position has the team contemplating the future of any valuable veteran on the payroll for the 2023 season.

On one hand, if the Buccaneers decide to bring in a veteran quarterback via trade or free agency, it makes more sense to keep Godwin in Tampa Bay to give a new veteran quarterback as many weapons as possible.

On the flip side, if the Buccaneers decide to go with a young quarterback under center, such as Kyle Trask or by drafting another quarterback prospect, selling a veteran Godwin for draft assets to help build around the young quarterback is an approach that could help the Bucs get younger and save money against the salary cap moving forward.

Are the Chicago Bears the Right Trading Partner for Chris Godwin?

One team that has been speculated with potential interest in the services of Godwin is the Chicago Bears.

During an interview with NBC Sports Chicago’s Bears Insider Josh Schrock on February 8, former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf named Chris Godwin as a potential trade target for the Bears this offseason.

“I’d look down to Tampa to see if I could maybe wrestle away (Mike) Evans or (Chris) Godwin…” said Leaf. “You’ve got to have a guy whose good every single week and Chris Godwin has been that guy. I know they just gave him the extension, so that may be a difficult thing to get out of, but they are also very cap-strapped down in Tampa Bay.”

While Leaf appears to favor the Bears going after Godwin, Schrock actually suggested the Bears could make a play for Bucs’ wide receiver Mike Evans back on February 1.

“Tampa choosing that path could potentially open the door for the Bears to make a run at the No. 1 wide receiver they desperately need in Mike Evans,” wrote Schrock. “At 29, Evans still is at the peak of his powers and would give the Bears the downfield, jump-ball threat they need to help quarterback Justin Fields take the next step.”

Schrock even discussed potential draft capital in exchange for Evans by writing, “Suppose the price for Evans is a second-round pick or a future first. In that case, I’d expect the Bears to be very interested in making a run at adding a go-to receiver who can allow Claypool and Darnell Mooney to operate in roles they are more suited to handle.”

Now, it’s worth mentioning that trading Evans or Godwin this season would result in a hefty dead salary cap hit for the Bucs, but if the draft capital is significant enough, then the numbers could potentially be moved around in order to make a deal happen to help the Bucs rebuild.