Tampa Tom

By Peyton Schultze

Tom Brady’s shocking free agent decision has potential to turn the NFL upside down in the 2020 season (via Sports Illustrated).

If you would have mentioned Tom Brady possibly leaving New England a year ago to any sort of Patriot fan, you would have likely been called crazy. Or mocked for thinking the Patriots’ dynasty could soon end. Or told that it was too wishful of thinking for other teams in the league. The organization valued him too much, and the quarterback/head coach combination could never survive without the other. The Greatest of All-Time would never leave the team that he had always called home, and it would be ridiculous to suggest any kind of notion that he could. Right?

Well that thought process was quickly turned on its head less than a week ago when Brady agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and leave the team that he captured six Super Bowl titles with. By signing a two-year deal worth 50 million in guaranteed money, Brady figures to finish the final moments of his career inside of Raymond James Stadium in front of Buccaneer fans that have long craved some type of relevance in the league. Although his contract specifically says that the superstar quarterback cannot be traded or franchise tagged at any point with Tampa Bay, the Bucs find themselves in a very unique position by getting a 43-year old quarterback with as impressive of a pedigree as any player in the history of the NFL.

With that being said, Brady’s choice of team may have been as surprising as any move for a marquee free agent in recent memory. While the familiarity of the Mike Vrabel’s Titans, the hometown origins of San Francisco, and the blue skies of Los Angeles dominated Brady-related headlines for most of the offseason, Tampa ultimately won the sweepstakes for the most accomplished player in the history of the sport. Yet since winning Super Bowl XXXVII against the then-Oakland Raiders under head coach Jon Gruden, the Bucs have sank toward the bottom of the NFL’s totem pole and finished near the bottom of the NFC South for most of the past decade. Yet with Brady joining the organization, Tampa Bay has immediately found themselves back inside the NFC playoff picture with other elite teams such as San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Green Bay and figures to at least be a relevant contender in the conference. With an experienced and offensive-minded head coach in Bruce Arians, Brady will be surrounded by a brand-new coaching staff for the first time since entering the NFL as a rookie in 2000. It’s unclear just how good the Bucs will be in 2020, but one thing does remain obvious: football in Tampa Bay has been suddenly rejuvenated with Brady’s arrival.

Despite all of their success last season, it is hard to imagine any other image from the Patriots’ 2019 season than Tom Brady walking off the field after a surprising Divisional Round loss to the Tennessee Titans (via NBC News).

Regarding Brady’s departure from Boston, it is hard to put into words how large of a mark this move could make in many places throughout the league. Suddenly, the Buffalo Bills look like a team that can get back to the top of the AFC East for years to come. Suddenly, the Chiefs look like a team that could replace the Patriots’ previous dynasty as rulers of the AFC. And suddenly, both conferences don’t have to worry as much about the juggernaut duo of Brady and Belichick that has haunted the league for two decades. Yet even with how much this move can affect many teams around the league, Brady’s free agency will cause more change in New England than any other organization. Even with Belichick still running the show and an elite defense still in place, it’s clear that the Patriots are not nearly the threat that they once were with Brady under center. This could suddenly change once again if the Patriots find a way to acquire the talents of a solid quarterback such as Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston, Cam Newton, or a rookie prospect such as Tua Tagovailoa in the draft, but things may look very different in Gillette Stadium next season with #12 now completely out of the building.

There had been rumors of Brady potentially leaving the Patriots for a large part of last season (as started by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on the set of Monday Night Countdown), but it was a topic that was hard to take seriously based off how improbable it seemed. Why, after just coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Rams, would Brady want to leave the team that he had consistently won championships with? While that topic may never become exactly clear, it is obvious that Brady wanted some kind of freedom to explore his own market and find his own place in the NFL at his increasing age. While the veteran quarterback had always preached doing things in the “Patriot Way” under Bill Belichick, it is understandable why Brady would want to look elsewhere and find a home that could treat him in a way that he believes he deserves. While many may call this approach somewhat egotistical and attention-seeking, this decision clearly shows that Brady understands his place in NFL history and wants to become even greater than what was once thought. Long has Brady heard whispers of being called a system quarterback or that Belichick was the sole reason for the Patriots’ success, and it makes sense why the always-motivated signal caller would want to take his talents elsewhere. The only clear way that Tom can accomplish his true goal of cementing himself as the greatest player to ever suit up in a helmet and shoulder pads is by winning another Super Bowl, but without the guidance of Belichick looming at his side. Doing so in a small-market and in an organization that has struggled to win in recent times would nearly eliminate any kind of doubt surrounding his status, and truly take Brady’s legacy to another level in American sports.

Brady joins a potentially lethal offense full of superstar weapons such as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (via Bucs Nation).

So what exactly is Brady joining by signing up to play with the Buccaneers. For starters, Brady should find a ton of enjoyment in playing under an air-raid offensive scheme that head coach Bruce Arians has stirred up. Arians has previously found immense success with other veteran quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Carson Palmer, and it would not be a surprise whatsoever to see Brady find plenty of prosperity of his own next season. In addition to Arians, Brady will be welcomed by the best wide receiving duo in all of football in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Both Pro Bowl talents had huge seasons in 2019 and have the ability to take over games through the air, and Brady should quickly become very comfortable in the Bucs’ offense with receivers running free. After Rob Gronkowski’s retirement and the struggling duo of Julian Edelman and Mohamad Sanu often failed to gain any sort of separation a year ago in New England, Brady will be pleased to find himself in an offense that could be as potent as any in the NFL next year.

Although the Buccaneers still have some holes on their roster such as at running back and in the defensive secondary, Tampa Bay figures to be in the thick of the playoff race in 2020. However, Brady could be in the midst of a harsh reality when he realizes the amount of quality competition in the NFC South. With New Orleans remaining a Super Bowl contender with Drew Brees still playing at a high level and with Atlanta still having plenty of offensive firepower with stars like Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, things will not come easy whatsoever for Brady and the Bucs. Even so, their potential is off the charts and they have a real shot at making a run in the conference with their current roster if Brady can stay healthy in his twenty first season. Sure, they’ll have to run into other talented teams in the conference such as Aaron Rodgers’ Packers, Russell Wilson’s Seahawks, and Brady’s old friend in Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers, but the Buccaneers will be a team to be reckoned with in the NFC.

Despite his sudden departure from New England, it is hard to deny any of Brady’s superb accomplishments during his illustrious career with the Patriots (via Yahoo! Sports).

Seeing Tom Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ uniform may come off as the equivalent of hypothetically seeing Derek Jeter with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sidney Crosby with the Anaheim Ducks, or Tim Duncan with the Charlotte Hornets, but things are quickly about to change for better or worse. After all, Peyton Manning had great success during his time with the Denver Broncos, and Joe Montana was also relatively successful during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. This move may come of as even more surprising than the other two due to how revered Brady was, and is, in the New England area, but all great things must come to an end at some point. The aging quarterback is closer to the end than the beginning of his career, and it appears that the time is ticking for him to make one last point to fans and to the rest of the league. Will that point result in him hoisting his seventh, and perhaps final, Lombardi Trophy in next year’s Super Bowl inside of Raymond James Stadium? Or will that point reveal that Brady and Belichick both needed each other in order to win? There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding the entire sports world right now, and Brady’s Bucs have helped soothe many fans craving to watch some competition. There’s a long way to go until the NFL’s 101st season kicks off, but the hype toward Brady’s debut on the shores of Tampa Bay has only just begun.