The Patriots really wanted Chris Godwin, but he didn’t want them enough to relocate.
New England reportedly put on a “full-court press” to add Godwin, one of the best wide receivers available this NFL offseason. In fact, one league analyst projected the Patriots made an offer with an average annual value of roughly $30 million to the highly talented pass-catcher.
However, Godwin left a significant amount of money on the table to stay in Tampa Bay — a move that Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht classified as “rare.” And if that unusual tactic didn’t hurt New England fans enough, Godwin’s remarks about how close he came to leaving Tampa Bay will only add salt to the wound.
“To be honest, I feel like we were really close,” Godwin said Tuesday on NFL Network. “When it comes to a situation like that, you have to really, really consider it. Me and (my wife) Mariah, we had some really tough conversations. We had some really tough conversations with my agent. At the end of the day, we’re trying to figure out what’s going to be best for our family. Not everybody would make that decision and I’m not faulting anybody that would. At the end of the day, I have to go based off of my gut, my intuition and what I feel like is going to be best for us in the long run.”
What made missing out on Godwin even tougher for the Patriots was the state of the receiver landscape at the time of the decision. By that point, Tee Higgins already was franchise-tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals and DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Davante Adams all found new homes.
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Slim pickings now are available to New England, but there still is at least one impactful receiver move the Patriots could make this offseason.
Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images
