Latest news with #ChrisGodwin
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers Get Robbed in Top Receivers Rankings
Buccaneers Get Robbed in Top Receivers Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers know how special their receiving room is, and yet they keep looking to bolster it with young talent. Advertisement With the addition of first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka, can the Buccaneers claim the best receiving room in the league? That is the question many people have been asking this offseason. Pro Football Focus took on ranking the NFL's top receiving corps', and the Buccaneers were rightfully viewed at the very top. Only the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles were ranked ahead of Tampa Bay this offseason. "It was a coin flip between the Buccaneers and the Eagles for the top spot, as they earned equal 79.1 PFF receiving grades in 2024," PFF wrote. "But Philadelphia's top pass-catching options all placed ahead of their Tampa Bay counterparts in PFF's position rankings." Surprisingly, the Buccaneers' receiving room was ranked behind the Eagles. Philadelphia's depth is significantly weaker than people understand. Advertisement Their third-best receiver, Jahan Dotson, didn't get many touches last season. It's far different than Tampa Bay's group. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and now Egbuka are a far better collective group than the Eagles have. Even with Brown and Smith healthy and among the league's more dominant duos, depth is incredibly important. McMillan and Egbuka would be better third options in Philly's receiving room. Dotson would be fighting for a roster spot with Tampa Bay. It's why PFF should have ranked Tampa Bay ahead of the champs in this regard. Related: Buccaneers Legend Offers Biggest Impact Draft Pick Related: Buccaneers' Receivers Room Ranks Tops in NFL This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Buccaneers' Todd Bowles' 'Hot Streak' Continue?
Can Buccaneers' Todd Bowles' 'Hot Streak' Continue? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Change is constant in the NFL, and for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, he has had his fair share of offensive coordinators since arriving. Advertisement First, it was Dave Canales, then Liam Coen, and now, passing game coordinator from last season, Josh Grizzard, is the new man in Baker's ear. Granted, the scheme isn't entirely new, given that Josh was in the building last season, but there are some wrinkles to be added. Still, the offense will again be one of the better units in football despite the change, given the sheer talent at Grizzard's disposal. And for Bleacher Report, the 2025 season is all about whether Todd Bowles' hot streak of hiring a stud offensive coordinator can continue. "The one downside of having a defensive-minded head coach like Todd Bowles is that he has to consistently get the offensive coordinator hire right," Bleacher Report writes. "Bowles is on a hot streak right now. Dave Canales was good enough to get a head coaching gig with the Panthers two years ago and he lost Liam Coen to the Jaguars head coaching job. This time, he promoted passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard. Advertisement "They re-signed Chris Godwin and drafted Emeka Egbuka so Baker Mayfield could have one of the deepest receiving corps in the league." Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Mike EvansBy Tony Fisher On paper, Grizzard has everything he needs to at least maintain the standard set by Coen. The run game houses Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, while Chris Godwin returns along with draftees Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson. Plus, all five starting offensive linemen return as well. That is quite the group to work with. Of course, we know that this is all a projection, but given Grizzard was riding shotgun next to Coen last season, the offense for many should be similar, with Grizzard's ideas thrown in too. Advertisement And that is why some think the Buccaneers are a dark horse NFC contender Related: Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' Related: Glaring Weakness of Buccaneers' 2023 First-Round Pick Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Receivers Room Ranks Tops in NFL
Buccaneers' Receivers Room Ranks Tops in NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers employed one of the best wide receiver rooms in 2024, and went out this offseason and made it even better. Advertisement That's music to the ears of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is coming off two consecutive career passing seasons after being written off by the league, and will now have Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka to throw to in addition to names like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton. Pro Football Focus does what it does best, and ranked the wide receiver rooms in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. While the Bucs tied with the Eagles for the top score, it gave the nod to the Eagles for some dumb reason. We'll ignore that part. "It was a coin flip between the Buccaneers and the Eagles for the top spot, as they earned equal 79.1 PFF receiving grades in 2024," Trevor Sikkema wrote. "But Philadelphia's top pass-catching options all placed ahead of their Tampa Bay counterparts in PFF's position rankings. The Buccaneers win the depth battle, though, as Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Rachaad White make for the deepest receiving corps in the NFL. Mike Evans (90.2), Chris Godwin (85.7) and Bucky Irving (90.5) were all top-15 players in PFF receiving grade among qualifiers at their positions in 2024." Advertisement The Bucs have all the offensive tools to be an elite unit in 2025 as long as new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard can keep the momentum going that Dave Canales and Liam Coen gained before him. Related: Glaring Weakness of Buccaneers' 2023 First-Round Pick Revealed Related: Buccaneers' Mike Evans Among NFL's Best at One Specific Route This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mike Evans Praises Bucs' Rookie Wide Receivers
Mike Evans Praises Bucs' Rookie Wide Receivers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take a lot of pride in their wide receiver corps, but they have to admit that they are getting up there in age. Advertisement To remedy this fact, the Bucs selected Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as well as Oregon receiver Tez Johnson in the seventh round. Mike Evans knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a good wideout in this league, and he praised the team's rookies in a recent interview with the media. "That's been very fortunate for me and my career to be around a lot of great young players," Evans said. "They've added to the room tremendously." The Bucs also have Chris Godwin, but he is coming off of a gruesome injury in 2024, so it is good that the team decided to sure up their wide receiver room through this year's draft. Advertisement Tampa Bay finished tied for second in the NFL this past season in passing touchdowns with 41, so adding two guys who had 10 receiving touchdowns in their final season in college could put the team over the top on the offensive side of the ball. The Buccaneers have made the playoffs each of the last five seasons, so their rookie receivers will be looking to help them continue that trend. The difference is, they hope to push the team past the divisional round for the first time since 2020. Related: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Victim of Most Dropped Passes Related: Buccaneers' Draft Pick Among Rookies With Most To Prove This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cade Otton Turning Heads During Buccaneers' Workouts
Cade Otton Turning Heads During Buccaneers' Workouts originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Cade Otton may not be considered one of the best tight ends in football yet, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter has quickly become underrated around the league. Advertisement The 26-year-old has seen increases in both receptions and yards each year he has been in the league. The former fourth-round pick has quickly become a consistent receiving option for Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay's offense. Otton is already turning heads in Buccaneer offseason workouts in an important fourth season. More importantly, he's making things hard for some of his defensive teammates. "Cade, I am kind of sick of him right now," laughed inside linebacker Anthony Walker Jr on the team's website. "That is a real savvy route runner right there. Yeah, he got me a few times this offseason. So, I definitely have to get in my bag a little bit." Advertisement Star receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have gotten plenty of praise for their impact on Tampa Bay's passing offense. In many ways, Otton gets overlooked in the Buccaneers' offense. More importantly, he has also found a way to gain the respect of his quarterback in Mayfield. In his short career, Otton has played with Tom Brady and Mayfield. Even some of the better tight ends in history would beg for a chance like that. As he continues to develop his game, Otton has quickly gone from an afterthought to one of the key pieces in Tampa Bay's offense. He's in line for another career year at this point. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' Related: Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Victim of Most Dropped Passes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
