Tampa Bay Buccaneers officials have informed receiver Chris Godwin that he will receive the franchise label, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The label will cost the Bucks approximately $ 16.5 million and means they will not be able to label outside defender Shaq Barrett, who earned $ 15.8 million playing under the franchise label last year. Labeling Barrett again in 2021 would have cost the Bucs $ 18.96 million, 120% of what they paid last year. Barrett and inside defender Lavonte David will become free agents.
The Ships will have to make a series of limit saving moves to retain these players, as they only had a planned salary cap of $ 15 million before labeling Godwin, assuming the salary cap is $ 181 million ( the NFL has not made the official salary cap number 2021).
A Buccaneers third-round win in 2017, Godwin paved the way until he began working full-time in the 2019 season, when he reached the Pro Bowl and established himself as one of the most consistent receivers in the league.
His reception rate of 74% in the last two seasons is the third highest in the NFL, just behind Michael Thomas Saints of New Orleans and Thomas Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks, and the drop rate of 0.5% of Godwin in the last two seasons is among the lowest in the NFL.
Going inside to play the role of Bruce Arians’ “big slot” receiver in 2019, Godwin finished that season with 1,333 yards of reception, the third most in the NFL despite losing the last two games with an injury to the hamstrings.
A hamstring injury, a concussion and a broken finger forced him to lose 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 receiving yards and a touchdown in the postseason as the Bucs won Super Bowl LV.
Godwin, who turned 25 in February, may not have a breaking speed, but his consistency as a road racer and his ability to concentrate on contested catches allow 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 of his career.