Buccaneers Could Lose a Fan Favorite if This Trade With Browns Happens

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for another important offseason, finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Bucs need depth all across the board, but defense should be a particularly big part of their plans in 2026 and beyond.

General manager Jason Licht is typically conservative in the offseason since the Brady era ended, preferring to build in the draft instead of making trades or going through free agency. Despite that, one BleacherReport writer, Alex Ballentine, recently wrote an article on trade candidates for every NFL team, and he had a Buccaneers fan favorite as a target for the Cleveland Browns — wideout Chris Godwin.

Could Browns Target Buccaneers' Chris Godwin?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) runs for a gain during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ballentine wrote that Godwin's connection with new Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken could make a potential trade more likely this offseason.

"Chris Godwin would be an interesting fit now that Todd Monken is coming in as head coach. He was a big part of Godwin's early development during his time in Tampa and the Bucs might be willing to deal him after back-to-back years of struggling with injuries," Ballentine wrote.

While trading Godwin could make sense from a team-building perspective, given his recent injuries, the Buccaneers are very unlikely to do it — and the Browns would be unlikely takers.

The Bucs just signed Godwin to a three-year, $66 million contract in the offseason despite his recovery from a nasty ankle dislocation the season prior. He ended up suffering a fibula injury that kept him out after he debuted late during the season, playing just nine games. Godwin caught 33 passes 360 yards and two touchdowns.

Godwin is still owed a $22 million base salary for 2026 and was guaranteed $44 million on signing, so he's an expensive option for any team that would want to trade for him. Any team that would theoretically want to trade for Godwin would likely balk at the idea for the same reason the Bucs would theoretically want to get rid of him — he's an expensive football player.

The Browns are currently over $11 million in the red on the salary cap, so they'll need to sort that out themselves before making any big splash trades. Combine that with wideout Emeka Egbuka's downturn toward the back half of the year in Tampa Bay, and it would make far more sense for Godwin to stick around.

Nevertheless, we'll see if Tampa Bay makes any big trades this offseason.

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