By: Bucs Report – for Sports Talk Florida
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired a new offensive coordinator in Liam Coen this offseason. Naturally with that comes a new scheme and new ideas on how to utilize the team’s offensive weapons.
While we don’t yet know all the wrinkles and changes that will be installed by Coen, we now know of one change. And it’s a pretty big one.
According to wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, wide receiver Chris Godwin is moving back to the slot position.
“Right now, Chris is going to be moved back to the slot, pretty much the majority of the time,” McClendon said, via buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix. “That does not mean that you cannot utilize him in other ways, but just positionally if we went out there today, he would probably be the starting slot. . . . He is a guy that does not mind getting physical. When you have that guy, he gives you an extra gap in the run game and then when you have that guy in the pass game, he has to be good around making contested catches.”
Godwin lined up in the slot less than a third of the team’s snaps in 2023. Prior to 2023 over half of the team’s offensive snaps from the slot position. A drastic change to say the least.
It’s not like Godwin wasn’t productive in 2023. He did post 1,024 yards on 83 catches with two touchdowns respectively. But Godwin’s game is definitely better suited for the Buccaneers. From his physical prowess at the catching point, to his awareness in space and ability to use his body to box out defenders. Add in a dose of his excellence in screens and the occasional jet-sweep, this is where he should be lined up.
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