The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed wide receiver Chris Godwin on Monday. After a brutal knee injury ended a productive season, the veteran is returning to Tampa. But Adam Schefter reports that another team was hot on his tail during the tampering period. The New England Patriots were interested in a free agency deal with Chris Godwin to fill their wide receiver need.
“Adam Schefter on Chris Godwin: ‘The Patriots were coming at him very hard,’ Mark Daniels posted on BlueSky. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Godwin “left a ton on the table” by taking a $66 million deal.
Last season, Drake Maye showed flashes that he can be the quarterback of the future for the Patriots. But his offensive line and wide receivers let him down all season long. Ja’Lynn Polk was one of the worst wide receivers in the league in his rookie year, only posting 87 yards on 33 targets.
Bringing in Chris Godwin would have made a lot of sense for the Patriots. Not only does he fill their biggest need, but he is the veteran presence the offense could use moving forward. But he has returned to the Buccaneers on a three-year deal to reunite with Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans.
Where should the Patriots turn?
Godwin is far from the only veteran wide receiver who has spurned the Patriots this offseason. Tee Higgins did not make it to the legal tampering period, as he had the franchise tag placed on him. Davante Adams signed with the Rams, DK Metcalf was traded to the Steelers, and Marquise Brown returned to the Chiefs.
The good news for the Patriots is that they have the fourth overall pick in April’s draft. The bad news is that there are no elite receivers available. They do not have to draft a receiver, as they have so many needs to fill. Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper are available as veteran options but they need a true number one receiver.
The only chance the Patriots have to land a true number one this offseason is trading for Tee Higgins. Even though he has the franchise tag on him, the Bengals could trade him if they cannot agree on a contract. That would be the big swing Eliot Wolf needs to win back the faith of the fanbase. Even though they reportedly put in a good offer for Chris Godwin, they are back to the drawing board at wide receiver.
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