After Liam Coen was hired as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator this offseason, one of the changes he made to the team’s scheme involved the way they’ll use wide receiver Chris Godwin this season.
Godwin had seen most of his offensive snaps come from the slot before the team opted to use him on the outside of the formation most of the time in 2023. Coen said that the team plans to have Godwin back in the slot for the “majority” of the 2024 season.
On Tuesday, Godwin gave his seal of approval to the change because he believes it enables him to impact games in a wider variety of ways.
“I think what I learned over the last four or five years, I’m really comfortable there,” Godwin said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “And obviously I feel like I have a lot of versatility playing inside and outside and I think that flexibility of being inside allows me to get more creative, allows me to be a little more involved in the run game and not be so obvious. ... It allows me to be involved in other ways instead of just catching the ball.”
Godwin is in the final year of his current contract and he saw his longtime running mate Mike Evans land a new deal this offseason. The results of his return to life in the slot will likely play a role in whether that partnership continues in 2025.