Breaking: Bucs $60 Million Star Closing In On Proposed Move To Join Patriots
The Mike Evans and Chris Godwin wide receiver tandem is one of the greatest in the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are paying a premium for it.
Evans avoided free agency by agreeing to a 2-year, $52 million contract in March 2024, following his NFL record-setting 10th season of at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2023.
After playing the 2021 season under the franchise tag, Godwin, who had three seasons in a row with at least 1,000 receiving yards, inked a three-year, $60 million contract in 2022.
That’s a substantial sum of money, and NBC Sports Phil Perry of Boston outlined a specific scenario in which Godwin would be sent to the six-time Super Bowl champions through a trade between the New England Patriots and the Buccaneers.
On May 8, Perry stated on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition, “(The Buccaneers) have, in my opinion, indicated that they were looking to build some receiver depth, maybe to give them a little bit of flexibility just in case they want to move on from somebody like Chris Godwin.” “Because they selected Washington’s Jalen McMillan in the third round, who somewhat resembles Chris Godwin in style of play. Both of them are quite large slots.
“So, if the (Bucs) — if ownership, specifically — is looking at this and saying, ‘We just gave a lot of real guaranteed money to Mike Evans, real guaranteed money to Baker Mayfield, we can’t keep everybody. We’re about to lose this guy (Godwin) for maybe nothing. We’ve got to get something in return right now,’ that’s a deal that I would be interested in. Because even if he’s not a true No. 1, he’d be your No. 1 if you’re the New England Patriots.”
Buccaneers Spent Big Money in 2024 Offseason
Not just Evans profited from his time with the Buccaneers in the 2024 offseason.
Once thought to as a stopgap quarterback, Baker Mayfield transformed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Bucs in 2023 into a three-year, $100 million contract extension after winning the NFC South Division title for his team three times in a row and making his first Pro Bowl.
Buccaneers Added Wide Receiver in 2024 NFL Draft
Godwin has been among the top wide receivers in the NFL for his entire career, going from being a third-round selection out of Penn State in 2017 to an NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2019.
The Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan, a third-round pick in 2024, is a player the Buccaneers are hoping can accomplish the same feat.
In 2022, McMillan caught 79 passes for 1,098 yards and 9 touchdowns; however, he missed five games due to injury. In 2023, he caught 39 passes for 526 yards and 4 scores, trailing only fellow wide receiver Rome Odunze, the Chicago Bears’ No. 9 overall pick.
“Slot target with good size and production over the last two seasons,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation of McMillan. “McMillan is a long-striding field-stretcher who is at his best with momentum routes in a West Coast passing scheme … Teams will need to determine if McMillan was a product of the impressive Washington passing scheme, or if he’s a stand-alone talent outside of UW.”
