Some NFL free agents, like New England Patriots newcomer Milton Williams, chose to sign with their highest bidder on the open market.
That wasn’t Chris Godwin’s approach to the offseason, though.
Several reports indicated Godwin left significant money on the table to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who signed the veteran wide receiver to a three-year, $66 million deal. The Bucs, as general manager Jason Licht explained, managed to fend off a robust group of suitors to keep Godwin in Baker Mayfield’s arsenal.
“There were several teams that inquired but there was one that kept writing him blank checks,” Licht told WDAE, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk. “We got to a point of what we could do in order to keep everything together and add some pieces here, and he took it.”
It’s very fair to wonder if the “blank check” offer came from the Patriots, who reportedly put on a “full-court press” in their attempt to sign Godwin. After New England missed out on the likes of Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel, Godwin comfortably was the best wide receiver option available to Mike Vrabel and company. In fact, one NFL analyst projected New England made the 29-year-old an offer of “close to $30 million” per season.
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Although Godwin claimed he was “really close” to leaving Tampa Bay, everything else the wideout said about his decision indicated the Patriots never really had a shot to bring him in. However, that probably won’t make New England feel any better about missing a chance to significantly bolster its offense.
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