Bucs moving Chris Godwin back to his spot

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Chris Godwin wasn't happy with how former offensive coordinator Dave Canales used him last year – despite finishing with a 1,000 yard season for a third straight year. 

His move to an outside receiver spot from the inside slot position cut down his targets. He ended with his fewest receptions over the last three seasons. He found the end zone just twice. 

It's the fewest touchdowns he's had since his rookie season, but the Bucs' new offensive coaching staff plans on changing it up.

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"Right now, Chris [Godwin] is going to be moved back to the slot pretty much the majority of the time," new Bucs wide receiver coach Bryan McClendon said.

"I get it, too, because there’s a business component of what he sees that he’ll need to do also," McClendon said. "Just being able to marry that stuff up is always a constant struggle for every coach right now in the NFL. I feel pretty good about where he is and what he needs to learn and kind of what he’s doing now for us offensively, which has looked pretty good, so far."

Chris Godwin #14 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on prior to the NFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

So what makes Godwin better suited to succeed at the inside slot position?

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"Chris is a throwback guy," McClendon said. "He’s a throwback guy that doesn’t mind being physical. When you have that guy in the run game, he can give you an extra gap in the run game, and then when you have that guy in the pass game, he’s got to be good around making contested catches, making catches with people around him and kind of a have a really good feel. Chris is really instinctive, he’s a real instinctive guy, there’s something to be said for, you might teach a guy forever and drill things, laying down fundamentals forever,  bust just to know when to apply it and what to do once you get there, that’s a whole other thing."

At wide receiver, the Bucs are set with the return of Mike Evans, and now having Godwin back in his old position, they just may be the best one-two wide receiver combo in the NFL. Two guys that are driven to be great.

"Those guys know that there is still room for their games to improve," McClendon said. "Those guys still have aspirations, as crazy as that might seem. Those guys have standards for themselves of where they want to play at."

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