Receiver Chris Godwin spent his first two seasons buried on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' depth chart trying to dig his way out.
With the departures of Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson, Godwin finally found a path to a bigger role.
New coach Bruce Arians believes that Godwin will bust out in a big way with a full-time role.
"I think Chris Godwin is going to be close to a 100-catch guy, especially because I think he can play in the slot," Arians said at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix this week, . "He's never coming off the field."
Sidebar: This is the same coach that once boasted during one of these March meetings back in 2014 that running back Andre Ellington could , so we should take that 100-catch number with a massive salt pill.
Regardless of the above caveat, Godwin is in line to see a big target share alongside Mike Evans. The 23-year-old displayed good route running acumen and adept ability to get open in close quarters last season. When given the opportunity, Godwin flashed potential last season. He generated three tilts with 100-plus yards and caught seven TDs. It's a big leap from a career-high 59 receptions to 100, but as an every-down player in an offense that lost 117 combined receptions in Humphries and Jackson, Godwin should have a chance to come close to Arians' projection.
With Evans patrolling the outside and the addition of speedster Breshad Perriman, Godwin should see his slot reps increase from just 29 percent last season. The still-growing receiver owns the route-running to feast from that position. In two-receiver sets, Godwin's skills pair well with Evans, and he should take advantage of the attention paid to his counterpart.
Whether or not he reaches the 100-catch watermark, expect Godwin to make a big leap under Arians in Year 3.
