Key Bucs starter talks about position change that will get him back to playing at a Pro Bowl level

Bruce Arians did a lot of really good things during his time as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one of his best, yet mostly underrated, decisions was moving Chris Godwin into the slot.

Godwin played the "Big Slot" role in Arians' offense and immediately took off. 2019 was the best season of his career, as he recorded 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns over the course of 14 games. The yardage and touchdowns are career-bests and he would've came very close to matching the career-best 104 receptions he logged in 2022 if he didn't miss the last two games of the season with an injury.

Dave Canales moved Godwin outside during his one-year stint as offensive coordinator, last year, and while the eighth-year player produced, he didn't have the same impact he's had over the years. Mainly in the touchdown department, where he hauled in two passes.

That's all changing in 2024 and that was established when Liam Coen was hired several months ago: Godwin is moving back inside, where he should thrive like he did under Arians.

"It's been a lot of fun," Godwin told reporters Thursday. "I've had a lot of success there [during the] previous four years, before last year. It feels good to be back in there. It gives me a lot of versatility.

"I think, situationally and formationally, [I'll] end up outside sometimes. But [it'll be] back to what I was doing before."

"Well, this offense will be multiple, but primarily when he [Godwin] succeeds in there in the slot, he's a hell of a blocker," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Thursday. "He's great in one-on-one coverage, underneath and down the field. He gives us a lot of options. And you know, with the third receiver, with Trey [Palmer] coming on last year, [Jalen] McMillan coming in this year - you really have to play as honest [and] Chris is kind of the key to that...

"...  I think he can do both [play slot and outside], but he really excels on the inside."

Godwin's health can really help his return to the inside take off

He's now more than two years fully removed from tearing his ACL late in the 2021 season, which is bound to help with the return inside and so far, that's been the exact case.

"I mean, y'all saw him today. He looks like he's in midseason form," Mike Evans told reporters on Day 1 of training camp . "He was making plays, going deep. [He] looks like the 2019 Chris Godwin, so he's always been an unbelievable leader and player for us, and I expect no different this year."

Godwin himself knows how big his health is, too.

"I'm feeling pretty good, man," said Godwin. "I think that anytime you're coming off of the injury that I had, it takes a few years to kind of get back... The first year off the injury, I was doing pretty good, but I could tell something was a little bit missing and last year was a little bit better.

"So this year I'm looking at setting back up again and I think only time will really tell how things play out. But I'm feeling pretty good about this year, and honestly, I'm just eager for the opportunity."

He also mentioned how he feels more explosive coming into this season, which is definitely something that has been missing from his game over the last couple years. He's always been good after the catch, but it hasn't been what we're used to, lately. Hopefully that can return in 2024 and if it does, the Bucs' passing attack is going to be in even better shape than it already is.

The rise of Jalen McMillan will play a big role, too

The rookie has done nothing but earn the respect of his teammates throughout the first days of camp, even if it's just t-shirts and shorts. We'll see what happens when the pads come one, but right now, McMillan is doing everything expected of him and more.

"He's savvy," Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum said Thursday. "He runs routes a little bit like a vet and he comes up to me and we talk ball a lot. [When] he beats me, he tells me where he got me, and when I get him, you know, he asks me what did I see, do I know what route it was going to be and things like that.

"He already has a mindset to where he's trying to make plays and he's trying to act like a vet. And he already told me he's going for the Pro Bowl this year. So I'm going to challenge him every single day in practice and help him complete his goal."

As Bowles mentioned in the previous quotes - the Bucs' passing attack is going to force defenses to play them honest, which is great in its own right. It can also, potentially, help what's been a defunct rushing attack for the last few years pick up the pace. That's another discussion for another time, however.

It's still early, but it sounds like things are moving in the right direction for the Bucs, in a certain regard.