The Official 2025 Off-Season Thread

[Grahamburn]

WR then becomes a really early priority on draft night.

Good.

Lot of holes on defense, man.

[Snake]

Can we not afford luxury? There’s no one else to sign.

It comes down to price (and preparing accordingly). if he comes back for cheap, I still wouldn’t put myself in a position to depend on him.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy. On the field, off the field. Him playing for another team is gonna fucking suck. especially if he’s still able to produce.

It’s just a matter of probabilities and roster construction at this point.

[Bootz]

Good.

Lot of holes on defense, man.

McMillan is here.


Defense needs a shot in the arm and a more veteran presence. FA should be used to fill the defense and not with Jordan Whitehead types.

[Cheb]

Godwin has the option of being resigned to a reasonable deal. Y'all acting like we had to franchise him or let him go.

If Godwin wants to do that, I'd welcome him back. But if he wants to go elsewhere and chase the money, I wish him well. He's the second best receiver in Bucs history, imo, and I would gladly buy him a beer, thank him for playing for the Bucs, and talk ball anytime.

[Doctor]

All those things are possible.

I can see LVD retiring, JTS and Godwin going elsewhere. I can also see anyone of them or even all three back when the dust settles. It's the offseason.

As long as LVD doesn't go elsewhere I'm good.

[Phantom]

I believe Trask will be back if we don’t get a quarterback from free agency or the draft.

[Primeminister]

Can we not afford luxury? There’s no one else to sign.

The only options aren’t to sign Godwin or the field. We can draft a good WR who is younger, healthier and cheaper. Paying Godwin at this point is bad business.

[Bootz]

WR A:

34 catches, 525 yards, 1 TD

WR B:

37 catches, 461 yards, 8 TDs

[Grahamburn]

Can we not afford luxury? There’s no one else to sign.

The only options aren’t to sign Godwin or the field. We can draft a good WR who is younger, healthier and cheaper. Paying Godwin at this point is bad business.

There are only so many picks.

You let Godwin go you’ve got McMillan and Mike entering the last year of his contract. That’s about it.

Assuming he’s healthy I know what I have in Godwin.

I don’t know what I have in a rookie WR and I also give up the opportunity cost of drafting someone for the defense.

[Grahamburn]

WR A:

34 catches, 525 yards, 1 TD

WR B:

37 catches, 461 yards, 8 TDs

Godwin and McMillan’s rookie seasons. What do I win?

[acmillis]

If Godwin signs elsewhere, we will probably get a third or fourth round comp pick

[Grahamburn]

If Godwin signs elsewhere, we will probably get a third or fourth round comp pick

Assuming we don’t sign anyone else. If you aren’t signing Godwin I’d hope it’s because you’re going after a big free agent on defense.

[Bootz]

WR A:

34 catches, 525 yards, 1 TD

WR B:

37 catches, 461 yards, 8 TDs

Godwin and McMillan’s rookie seasons. What do I win?

Right. We did fine developing a young Chris Godwin into the player he is now. Surely our FO has confidence Jalen McMillan can follow in his footsteps.

[Bootz]

The only options aren’t to sign Godwin or the field. We can draft a good WR who is younger, healthier and cheaper. Paying Godwin at this point is bad business.

There are only so many picks.

You let Godwin go you’ve got McMillan and Mike entering the last year of his contract. That’s about it.

Assuming he’s healthy I know what I have in Godwin.

I don’t know what I have in a rookie WR and I also give up the opportunity cost of drafting someone for the defense.

You make it sound as if we’re hamstrung into signing Godwin. There’s free agency. Trades. Moving back in the draft to accumulate more picks. So many options to fill the roster. You don’t have to force yourself into re-signing an oft injured WR to a 3rd large deal.

[Grahamburn]

There are only so many picks.

You let Godwin go you’ve got McMillan and Mike entering the last year of his contract. That’s about it.

Assuming he’s healthy I know what I have in Godwin.

I don’t know what I have in a rookie WR and I also give up the opportunity cost of drafting someone for the defense.

You make it sound as if we’re hamstrung into signing Godwin. There’s free agency. Trades. Moving back in the draft to accumulate more picks. So many options to fill the roster. You don’t have to force yourself into re-signing an oft injured WR to a 3rd large deal.

Trades cost picks. Moving back costs position and they're already picking 19th. Who are the better free agents available at WR? He's #2 on every single list I've seen. Higgins will certainly demand much more $$.

I can't really argue with oft-injured and they're leg injuries to boot. He seemed very much over the ACL though.

[Primeminister]

The only options aren’t to sign Godwin or the field. We can draft a good WR who is younger, healthier and cheaper. Paying Godwin at this point is bad business.

There are only so many picks.

You let Godwin go you’ve got McMillan and Mike entering the last year of his contract. That’s about it.

Assuming he’s healthy I know what I have in Godwin.

I don’t know what I have in a rookie WR and I also give up the opportunity cost of drafting someone for the defense.

“Assuming he is healthy”…he isn’t. That part of the sentence cancels out the “known quantity” of Godwin. If he wants the value he held before injury we need to send him on his way.

You never know what you have in a rookie, but that is no reason to hold on to an injured and aging star.

[Primeminister]

You make it sound as if we’re hamstrung into signing Godwin. There’s free agency. Trades. Moving back in the draft to accumulate more picks. So many options to fill the roster. You don’t have to force yourself into re-signing an oft injured WR to a 3rd large deal.

Trades cost picks. Moving back costs position and they're already picking 19th. Who are the better free agents available at WR? He's #2 on every single list I've seen. Higgins will certainly demand much more $$.

I can't really argue with oft-injured and they're leg injuries to boot. He seemed very much over the ACL though.

It took 2 years to get over the last leg injury. Are you willing to sacrifice the next 2 years and significant cap space to resign this oft injured WR?

[Grahamburn]

There are only so many picks.

You let Godwin go you’ve got McMillan and Mike entering the last year of his contract. That’s about it.

Assuming he’s healthy I know what I have in Godwin.

I don’t know what I have in a rookie WR and I also give up the opportunity cost of drafting someone for the defense.

“Assuming he is healthy”…he isn’t. That part of the sentence cancels out the “known quantity” of Godwin. If he wants the value he held before injury we need to send him on his way.

You never know what you have in a rookie, but that is no reason to hold on to an injured and aging star.

He's not even 29 yet. No reason? There are all kinds of reasons. Great player. Great person. Great teammate. We started Sterling Shephard all year so the WR room needs depth regardless. Several teams have 2 WRs making good money. It's not a cost issue.

[Grahamburn]

Trades cost picks. Moving back costs position and they're already picking 19th. Who are the better free agents available at WR? He's #2 on every single list I've seen. Higgins will certainly demand much more $$.

I can't really argue with oft-injured and they're leg injuries to boot. He seemed very much over the ACL though.

It took 2 years to get over the last leg injury. Are you willing to sacrifice the next 2 years and significant cap space to resign this oft injured WR?

He still had over 1,000 yards in 2022 and played in all but one game that year and all of them in 2023.

I'd factor the injuries and missed games into any negotiations. All of those things apply to any other teams looking to sign him too. What's his market?

[Primeminister]

“Assuming he is healthy”…he isn’t. That part of the sentence cancels out the “known quantity” of Godwin. If he wants the value he held before injury we need to send him on his way.

You never know what you have in a rookie, but that is no reason to hold on to an injured and aging star.

He's not even 29 yet. No reason? There are all kinds of reasons. Great player. Great person. Great teammate. We started Sterling Shephard all year so the WR room needs depth regardless. Several teams have 2 WRs making good money. It's not a cost issue.

It is a cost issue when that #2 receiver is as often injured as Godwin. Add in the fact that his style of play, while electric, lends him to increased injuries going forward. If Godwin is not playing the same style of play he is less valuable to us, but if he plays the style we love is less available to us (due to injury).

[Primeminister]

It took 2 years to get over the last leg injury. Are you willing to sacrifice the next 2 years and significant cap space to resign this oft injured WR?

He still had over 1,000 yards in 2022 and played in all but one game that year and all of them in 2023.

I'd factor the injuries and missed games into any negotiations. All of those things apply to any other teams looking to sign him too. What's his market?

I think it boils down to believing it’s easier to hit on a WR in the draft than it is for other positions. I believe our cap should be spent elsewhere unless we are getting a home run hit like Tyreek (not happening, but we can dream).

[Grahamburn]

He still had over 1,000 yards in 2022 and played in all but one game that year and all of them in 2023.

I'd factor the injuries and missed games into any negotiations. All of those things apply to any other teams looking to sign him too. What's his market?

I think it boils down to believing it’s easier to hit on a WR in the draft than it is for other positions. I believe our cap should be spent elsewhere unless we are getting a home run hit like Tyreek (not happening, but we can dream).

He was 6th in yards per game in 2024. You're not getting that from a rookie. Hill was 30th.

But, we'll see what they do.

[Four Verticals]

I believe Trask will be back if we don’t get a quarterback from free agency or the draft.

Well....thank goodness for this.

[Grahamburn]

I believe Trask will be back if we don’t get a quarterback from free agency or the draft.

Well....thank goodness for this.

I’d think Trask would try to go to a QB needy team to compete to start.

[Bootz]

Whats the argument here? That we can't afford to draft a WR in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round so we have to pay Chris Godwin?

[Grahamburn]

Whats the argument here? That we can't afford to draft a WR in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round so we have to pay Chris Godwin?

There are all kinds of arguments and scenarios. I think the road to a better roster in 2025 and beyond includes Chris Godwin. You don't. That's ok. Neither of us get to choose.

You can sign Godwin and still draft another WR in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round.

[Primeminister]

I think it boils down to believing it’s easier to hit on a WR in the draft than it is for other positions. I believe our cap should be spent elsewhere unless we are getting a home run hit like Tyreek (not happening, but we can dream).

He was 6th in yards per game in 2024. You're not getting that from a rookie. Hill was 30th.

But, we'll see what they do.

He was also healthy which he isn’t now. We disagree on paying an injury prone WR is all.

[BucsNBills]

We actually get 2025 cap relief by re-signing Godwin.

[Grahamburn]

He was 6th in yards per game in 2024. You're not getting that from a rookie. Hill was 30th.

But, we'll see what they do.

He was also healthy which he isn’t now. We disagree on paying an injury prone WR is all.

Fair enough. If you're going into free agency and only signing players who've never had injuries your list will be pretty small.

And to @BucsNBills point if they can get him signed before 2/20 they'd slow his void money down.

[Bootz]

He was also healthy which he isn’t now. We disagree on paying an injury prone WR is all.

Fair enough. If you're going into free agency and only signing players who've never had injuries your list will be pretty small.

And to @BucsNBills point if they can get him signed before 2/20 they'd slow his void money down.

There's a 0% chance of him being re-signed by February 20th. I explained that last week, doing that with void years only pushes that eventual hit down the line and increases it substantially. We aren't doing that and we shouldn't.

[Nobody]

I'm not here to have an opinion on signing or drafting injury-prone players. I was a huge advocate of drafting AWJr due to his on-field attributes, but his injury history was a concern. Despite the concern, I was a big proponent of drafting him. He got dinged a little in year 2 and year 3 and year 5 (last year) was a calamity for him regarding injuries (I would bet he was playing waaaaay below 100 % in that playoff game). So those concerns are starting to mount there.

However, just like it is enormously difficult to replace an enormously versatile FS with the extraordinary football instincts, top shelf read & react, omnidirectional mobility, and willingness physically, same can be said for a WR like Godwin. The league has a dearth of players who check all the following boxes:

* Route running savant across the whole tree.
* Tackle breaker in tiny-space.
* Catch-point dominator.
* Heady in sight adjust against blitz.
* Dominator in the running game.

So, yeah. Injuries mounting. But if that physical checks out (and ankle injury recovery is crazy these days), and you don't sign him...these guys don't grow on trees. Coen had to significantly change the offense without Godwin (he did...but having both approaches of "Before/After Godwin" would be pretty great).

The only possible solve here would be to turn White into a gadget player that sees the field in abundance and eats up a lot of that Godwin territory. He certainly can't win all the ways Godwin does (that 1st and 3rd bullet point aren't in play), but he can absolutely do a chunk of that work (while being an asset/weapon in 21 personnel as the Orbit/Jet player).

[Sdbucs]

The widespread claims of Chiefs getting calls is a serious issue for the NFL that can’t be ignored. It’s not some fringe conspiracy, is the mainstream stance of many fans in the NFL. The integrity of the game cannot be in question or it all falls apart. Goodell needs to take action this offseason.

For one, penalties need to be challengable/reviewable.

A rule change I think must be implemented is tracking chips in the balls. The technology is there. There is no reason professional football should be guessing the spot of the ball, especially in a pile.

Give the goal line pylons as well as the line to gain markers trackers that detect when the ball passes through them. Hell, give them lights that light up for all to see when the ball gets through. Who would argue its not a TD when literally everyone saw the pylon glow green on the QB tush push?

It’s inexcusable that this sort of thing does not exist in the modern nfl.

Also, make it so playclock hitting 0 automatically invokes a penalty. No more refs guessing.

Refs have way too much power and control and are doing a crap job with it.

[GreatTimes]

"A rule change I think must be implemented is tracking chips in the balls. The technology is there. There is no reason professional football should be guessing the spot of the ball, especially in a pile."

When did a knee or elbow hit the ground. That is still up to the refs to determine. A chip in the ball doesn't change that.

[Obsolete]

Well....thank goodness for this.

I’d think Trask would try to go to a QB needy team to compete to start.

Dude everytime he plays we win!

[Grahamburn]

I’d think Trask would try to go to a QB needy team to compete to start.

Dude everytime he plays we win!

This is true. “Trask played well.”