Tampa Bay isn’t always at the top of mind when thinking about potential contenders in the league. Much of that comes from the team being in a small market along with the type of players they like to surround their organization with.
Despite typically being an afterthought around the league, the Bucs have managed to have a stranglehold on the NFC South while making playoff runs — one of those resulting in a Lombardi Trophy with Tom Brady at the helm back in 2020.
When Brady decided to come to Tampa Bay, his contract wasn’t all that high compared to some of the other quarterbacks around the league. This “all-in” type of move for Brady to surround himself with the best talent awarded the Bucs with a Super Bowl and has continued to resonate throughout One Buc Place since his departure.
The Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht have now done it once again, proving that they are one of the best at getting top-level talent for perhaps less than the value that they could have elsewhere. According to FOX Sports’ reporter Carmen Vitali, they have signed two of the “biggest bargains” in wide receiver Chris Godwin and outside linebacker Haason Reddick this free agency period.
Godwin leads Vitali’s list for probably the most obvious reason — he left potentially $20 million on the table to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs were able to re-sign Godwin to a three-year, $66 million deal even after his second significant injury that cost him half a season.
It was reported that the Patriots had an offer for Godwin way above what the Bucs were willing to offer, but he decided to stick with his gut and return home to Tampa Bay. Before his injury, Godwin was on pace to shatter his personal bests across all categories, and if he were to have finished out the season he very likely could have gone elsewhere considering the amount of money that would have been on the table.
The deal looks even better for Godwin now following the Cincinnati Bengals’ re-signing of fellow WR2 Tee Higgins, who signed for an AAV that is $7 million more than Godwin’s $22 million.
The other major bargain signing for the Bucs is outside linebacker Haason Reddick, who (to say the least) had one of the more unorthodox seasons in 2024. After putting up four consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks that led him to two Pro Bowls, Reddick sat out for nearly half of last season as he and the New York Jets tried to hash out a contract extension.
Unfortunately for Reddick and the Jets, but fortunately for the Bucs, things never materialized on that front, leading Reddick to hit the open market this offseason.
Last season was a bust by all measures for Reddick after only notching one sack and 14 combined tackles through 10 games, but he will have the chance to prove himself with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal worth $14 million.
Compared to the other elite edge rushers, the deal is an absolute steal for the Bucs, and they will be banking on Reddick returning to his old form before deciding if he will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.
The talent and skills are there for Reddick, but it will be up to him to prove that he still has what it takes to be one of the best at his position. The good news for Reddick is that he will have ample opportunities in 2025 thanks to a Bucs defensive line that features Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby.
