The New England Patriots won’t enter any sweepstakes to sign Tee Higgins in 2025 NFL free agency, but there’s a $60 million alternative to the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, in the form of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl wideout Chris Godwin.
A decision not to pursue Higgins was reported by Chad Graff of The Athletic on Thursday, February 27. It means a team starved of bluechip receiving talent will need to look for alternatives, and Godwin qualifies, according to Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports.
Sullivan pointed out “Godwin may not even reach free agency with the Buccaneers trying to reach an agreement with him before the start of the legal tampering period. If he shakes loose, however, he’d be arguably the top free-agent receiver on the market, despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 7. When healthy, Godwin is a crafty receiver who can line up all over the field, has a strong route tree and can win short and long. He’d instantly become the top receiver in the room in New England and an ideal go-to-target for Maye. However, given that the Patriots are out on Higgins, that also could mean they are out on Godwin’s projected price range as well.”
The cautionary note about the potential price tag for Godwin makes sense. Yet, so does the fit of player and team.
Chris Godwin a Natural Fit for Patriots Offense
The return of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator has restored the premium on the slot receiver position the Patriots used to prize in the passing game. Wes Welker, Danny Armendola and Julian Edelman all flourished in the role on McDaniels’ watch.
A potential successor to all three is already on the roster, in the form of DeMario Douglas. The sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft has already been a record-breaker as a prolific outlet when lined up inside.
Douglas is effective, but Godwin is a slot receiver deluxe. The 29-year-old played 229 snaps in the slot last season, per Player Profiler, after returning to the role he operates in best.
Godwin excels from the slot because of the multi-faceted way he attacks coverage. The 6-foot-1, 209-pounder’s not just a worker between the numbers, but somebody with the size and speed to break outside and turn short passes into big plays.
Like he did for this catch and run for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 2.
Godwin’s greater potential for big plays from the slot was summed up by averaging 4.5 yards before catch per reception and seven yards after catch, per Pro Football Reference. Compared to four and 5.4 tallied by Douglas.
At his best, Godwin feasted from the slot in a manner similar to some of the most dominant tight ends in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.
Several seasons have passed since then and Godwin’s present durability and market value should rate as concerns for the Patriots. So should his being less of a field-stretcher than Higgins.
Tee Higgins Would’ve Answered Obvious Need for Patriots
Having a young quarterback with as much arm talent as Drake Maye at the controls means the Patriots need to stretch the field on a regular basis. Higgins would’ve helped after averaging 9.8 yards before catch per reception throughout his career.
He’s been a popular fit for the Patriots because he is a playmaker on the perimeter. Status Higgins reinforced with this catch between double coverage against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.
What Higgins brings to the field is a durable size and speed mismatch. Those things are different to what Godwin offers.
His 2024 season was ended in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens. It marked the second time Godwin lost part of a campaign to injury, the first being when he tore his ACL in 2021.
The Patriots need to give Maye a go-to receiver who’s going to stay on the field. Taking the risk with Godwin’s injury history is steep when he has a market value of $22.5 million annually for three years, according to Spotrac.com.
They may be cap rich, but the Pats should be wary about a bidding war that seems likely when Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is hopeful about re-signing Godwin, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Ultimately, the Patriots should base any decision about Godwin on the judgement of McDaniels. The latter values Godwin’s type of receiver highly and could even seek the input of Patriots great Tom Brady, who won a Super Bowl with Godwin and the Bucs during the 2020 season.
Some positive feedback can help the Patriots pass on Higgins without regret.
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