The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already hit the ground running as they decided to place the franchise tag on wide receiver Chris Godwin. The move will have certain implications on their other players as linebackers Shaq Barrett and Lavonte David are expected to hit free agency in the offseason, per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter.

Under the franchise tag, Godwin is expected to earn around $16.4 million on a one-year tender with the Buccaneers. He remains to be an integral piece of the team's offense, especially with his pairing with Mike Evans which formed one of the most prolific receiving duos in the league. The former Pro Bowler concluded the 2020 season with 840 yards on 65 receptions and seven touchdowns through 12 games played.

Meanwhile, Barrett was already franchise-tagged for the 2020 season where he received a $15.8 million salary. The Buccaneers got their money's worth as the former undrafted player emerged as one of their steadiest contributors on defense. He finished the 2020 season with 57 total tackles, 8.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 15 appearances.

On the other hand, David's five-year, $50 million contract already expired by the end of the 2020 season. Similar to Barrett, the Nebraska product is also coming off a stellar campaign with total numbers of 117 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles through 16 contests.

Given that many of their key pieces are set to become free agents, it was hard for the Buccaneers to keep their core fully intact heading to 2021. The decision to place the franchise tag on a player like Chris Godwin was a no-brainer but the Buccaneers should also expect that many teams will go after the services of Shaq Barrett and Lavonte David for next season.