ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler on March 6 reported that there is a 90 percent chance that the Bucs would use the franchise tag on wide receiver Chris Godwin again.

That would not be ideal for a number of reasons. But the Bucs are 100 percent sure they don’t want to lose Godwin to a receiver free agent market that could be robust.

“The belief leaguewide is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would tag receiver Chris Godwin over cornerback Carlton Davis, who is set to be a free agent, but definitely could be re-signed,” ESPN reported. “One source predicted there’s a 90% chance Tampa Bay tags Godwin, whom the Bucs do not want to lose.”

The Bucs used the franchise tag on Godwin last year, which was worth $15,983,000. Using the franchise tag on him again would drive his cap number higher to $19,179,600 in 2022. That’s over $3 million more than he made in 2021.

While not a common occurrence in the NFL, three players had the franchise tag used on them in back-to-back seasons. Last year, the Giants used it on defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Broncos safety Justin Simmons and Washington Football Team guard Brandon Scherff also received the franchise tag in back-to-back seasons.

Godwin is expected to command somewhere between $15.5 – 16.5 million per year in free agency. The Bucs could use the tag on him to buy some more time to negotiate a long-term contract extension.

What Using The Tag On Godwin Would Mean For Davis

Ideally, Tampa Bay does not want to use the franchise tag on Godwin again. The Bucs would prefer to use it on Davis. Placing the tag on Godwin eats up a lot of precious cap space for the Bucs, who currently have just $2.7 million in cap room. If Godwin could be re-signed to a long-term extension the Bucs could significantly lower his 2022 base salary to create more cap room to sign other players.

Godwin receiving the franchise tag would mean that Davis would hit free agency. If the Bucs wanted to re-sign him the team would likely have to commit to a multi-year deal at market value. Tampa Bay is wondering exactly what that would be, and what type of cornerback he is.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III and Falcons WR Calvin Ridley – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Davis has not played an entire season due to injuries. He’s missed a total of 14 games in his four seasons in Tampa Bay, including seven games last year due to a quad injury. Davis recorded his first career interception at the end of his second season and then notched a career-high four in 2020. Last season he only produced one, dropping several others.

Gauging Davis’ Market Value

Can Davis stay healthy for an entire season? Is he just a one-interception guy with 2020 being the outlier? Or can Davis develop into a playmaker with multi-interception seasons ahead of him? He’s worth more money if he’s the latter.

Pro Football Focus has Davis as the third-rated cornerback in free agency. PFF projects a year deal worth $17.287 million. That happens to be the franchise amount for cornerbacks.

The Bucs would love to place the tag on him to give him a one-year, prove-it deal to find out. But Godwin is the team’s top priority. Tampa Bay may be resigned to the fact it will have to use on him again. Unless a long-term deal can be reached. The deadline is Tuesday, March 8 at 4:00 p.m.

Godwin was the team’s leading receiver in 2021 with 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns. This despite missing the last three games of the season and the playoff games due to a torn ACL. Godwin is a vital cog in Bruce Arians’ offense as the team’s slot receiver.