“It Sounds Good On Paper; It’s Impossible To Pull Off”
March 18th, 2020
“Jason, Tommy wants to know about our running back drafting.”
Dianna Russini of ESPN reported last week that Tom Brady desired a level of roster control with his new team and the Bucs were eager to give it to him.
There was a split at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. One Joe thought it was a rather outrageous notion, the other Joe thought general manager Jason Licht and Bucco Bruce Arians should embrace Brady’s input and they certainly could use the help in some areas.
And now Brady is a Buccaneer.
So what about that roster power.
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Boomer Esiason weighed in on Brady’s potential roster power during his weekday show on WFAN sports radio in New York.
“You know, he’s not a GM; he’s a quarterback,” Esiason said. “Look, if he wants to say, ‘Maybe we can trade for Julian Edelman or something like that. Or maybe we could convince Gronk to come back …’ I could see some of that, but you know, it sounds good on paper. It is impossible to pull off. He’s got to learn a new playbook. He’s got to get to know his teammates. There’s a lot of things that he has to get through before sitting in on some personnel meeting with Jason Licht and Bruce Arians. I don’t know; it’s going to be interesting the relationship between him and Byron Leftwich. Are they bringing in another coach to call players? Is [Brady] calling plays?”
So obviously Esiason thinks Brady won’t be the Bucs’ undercover GM, but Esiason acknowledged Brady might have his share of input.
And yes, Joe’s eyes opened wide when Esiason mentioned a potential “Gronk” call.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:15 pm
We didn’t have a descent set of CBs until the Bucs Defensive line improved with an improved pass rush. The same improvement will happen with the Bucs Offensive line. Jameis held on the ball way too long because he was so indecisive. Brady is quick to get rid of the ball because he can read the defense within a few seconds. The Offensive line will have better stats this year.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:18 pm
Brady is a savant…Esiason was a very good QB with a late career bump even. One has six rings…one has a radio show and a seat on NFL Today ( I think…don’t watch pre-game shows…AFC in particular. ) Arians/Licht are probably way more open to input than Grumpy Belicheat.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:18 pm
I think Brady will make Byron Leftwich a better OC. He simply was lost on how to use the TEs – Brady’s trademark.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:22 pm
We dont need Gronk! We have 2 savage not correctly used tight ends. But gronk is more than welcome to come party on the ship!
March 18th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
So one of the perks of having Brady is it makes us relevant again. It makes us contenders, and that is important for acquiring certain types of free agents.
There are the FAs that want that pay day, and there’s the motivated vets that want to compete for a ring.
This is the first time in about 15 years that guys will come here to win and we wont have to break the bank on them.
As far as “control”, I believe what Brady seeks is input into the gameplan and he will want to install some of his favorite plays. He will also want the power to change the play at the line which I am sure he will be granted. I’d imagine his input on the roster to be more of a recommendation role and maybe helping the GM recruit guys.
This is going to be a huge opportunity for Leftwich to learn from Brady and learn how the Patriots would prepare the gameplans for Tom. This will change how Leftwich coaches forever and that value cannot be stated enough.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:28 pm
What really stinks is it was a great thing to choose TB and that choice was made a few weeks or a few month back. Today, we live in a totally different world. This Corona is real and you wont see anything in the way of meetings until mid June maybe training camp so all the thing a new qb needs to do can’t be done. Only in tampa.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:29 pm
MtBucFan……Ease up on the Savage talk in regards to OJ “ouch a feather hit me” Howard.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:29 pm
It will be interesting not just to see how can and Howard do but also to see how the revievers do for yac. Many speculated Winston’s inaccuracy and high passed caused low yac for Evans and others
March 18th, 2020 at 3:31 pm
Gronk signed like a 3 year deal with the WWE so he’s not coming back.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:32 pm
This is what we should have expected with the roster control stuff.
He’s gonna reckomend players and get a guy or two he wants. He might be part of the decision with a guy like Brate.
That’s about it. If you thought he was gonna come in and strat telling Bowles what players he needs I don’t know what to tell you.
And yeah if he can lure somebody here that’s a big benefit. So do we trade back Philly for Djax now? Or Nah?…….haha just kidding………or am I?
March 18th, 2020 at 3:34 pm
Rojas he can wresle one wednesday night raw and still play football. Wednesday is our off day.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:34 pm
I really hate when people use rings to equate knowledge. Some of the best coaches or GMs were terrible or mediocre players. Some of the best players failed as coaches or GM. (See Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson and Matt Millen)
March 18th, 2020 at 3:35 pm
JimmyJack- I put a lot of thought into that last night, but I think MeJax burned that bridge on the way out. I don’t think Licht would bring him back after all the stunts he pulled, just no way.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:36 pm
he’ll give input on plays and play design but not roster moves….lol…
BA is a players coach…he aint no push over….
I honestly think:
BL and Brady control the offense
bowles controls the defense
BA controls the roster
licht controls the contracts
GO BUCS!!!!
March 18th, 2020 at 3:36 pm
Time will tell, but how can you not get excited! Our draft is going to be very important and we need! Find the best trench guys available, keep Tom upright, We need a good DL and a good OL. Check out whose still there on free agents but be wise! JL has been not nearly as good as he needs to be so if he gets proper imput , maybe he will do better. Please advise him well and do not leave him having to have to make a choice because we were not prepared.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:39 pm
Yeah Alaskan it was just a stupid thing I thought of when typing that. I thought it was funny.
Like you said he burned his bridge back to Tampa. Probably got a few guys here who don’t like that guy. Stuff like that matters.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:39 pm
Once Brady gets on the same page as Evans, Godwin, oj and brate, beware! He should really elevate their knowledge of the game.
This is the time where oj needs to step up!!!
March 18th, 2020 at 3:40 pm
813 wrong. JP Peterson who had the scoop reported Brady will have input on the roster.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:41 pm
813bucboi Says:
March 18th, 2020 at 3:36 pm
he’ll give input on plays and play design but not roster moves….lol…
BA is a players coach…he aint no push over….
I honestly think:
BL and Brady control the offense
bowles controls the defense
BA controls the roster
licht controls the contracts
————————————
edit: Licht controls his Jameis 1-of-1 account.
At this point that is probably about it, we have Greenberg for contracts.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:46 pm
Don’t rip on Licht. In 2 seasons now he has signed the king of sacks and the greatest QB ever.
Licht has gone from bottom tier GM to elite status.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:47 pm
Brady has as many rings as this franchise has playoff victories. Listen to the man.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:52 pm
I suspect that it is merely a gentleman’s agreement that Tom Brady will have a very strong input into areas where he can improve the team….and that would include roster suggestions…..like.
Get me a RT
Don’t trade Brate or OJ
Draft a RB
I’d like to meet this Ndog guy and convince him I’m right for the part.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:53 pm
LOL yeah Licht suddenly became a real GM when Arians was brought in.
He is a lap dog again like when he was with Lovie.
I am a little joking, he deserves some props but I’m not sold it was all him.
I will say I HATED the draft last year, like pretty sure I was in moderation for a month I was so pissed but they actually started to resemble starting caliber CBs.
If Licht doesn’t draft trenches early though i’m legit gonna pee in his pool every Saturday.
March 18th, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Is anything official going to come out from the Bucs at 4 PM EST?
March 18th, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Who is gonna get the butt chewed first by Brady? My guess is OJ.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:01 pm
Scotty from Fat Antonio…I was just at Bucs.com that didn’t have any Brady posts and looked on Google and there is no conference time I saw.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:06 pm
Yeah, I wondered how the relationship with Leftwich might sort out. I imagine that’s where the control factor will exert itself. Working within BA’s system TB is likely to have much more input into play calling than JW ever would.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:10 pm
Tom’s been playing with these guys in the NFL for 24 years and six Super Bowl wins. I’ll take a little input. BA is going to be the head coach but Brady wants some control over Byron Leftwich as a young OC. Fine by me.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:11 pm
Funny, Gronk is too busy banging down hotties in the WWE circuit. It’s a maybe, but dude is lving la vita loca right now.
I do love Gronk’s style, when he was good, was one of the funnest players in the league to watch.
Much like Mark Bavaro, but unguardable.
What about our DBs? Kicker?
March 18th, 2020 at 4:19 pm
Gay will be the first guy Brady jumps on.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Gronk isn’t coming back. He signed with the WWE.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:30 pm
I think Cam Brate is really good, but football is a business (which is why the Pats let Brady go). If there is a chance to get Gronk, trade Brate for draft picks and get Gronk. It’s the smart move financially. Since Auclair was just resigned, Howard could go as well for even more draft picks. With the potential of this draft class, the future could easily be built now, and we would still have a great team for this year.
March 18th, 2020 at 4:33 pm
813bucboi … You nailed it IMO with the who controls what. This year’s offense will play to Brady’s strengths … at this point in his career … and Brady will have a major input into that. BA pretty much gave Todd Bowles free reign with the defense last year, and I can’t see that changing. I still see BA as being in charge of the roster, but with major input from ‘his boys’ (JL & his staff probably offer recommendations, but that’s all they are IMO; JL’s not gonna override BA ever).
I’m probably more concerned about the defense than most I know, but I saw how Licht overly favored the offense for years & how terrible our defense was. The results weren’t pretty. Last year BA & TB got some really awesome players (Shaq, Suh, some of our draft picks) on-the-cheap, but that won’t happen this year. Bucs have to be prepared to allocate $90-$95 mil to this defense IF we expect a Top-10 defense. And that’s the level our defense will have to perform at for us to make the playoffs.
That only leaves about $105 mil (max $110 mil) for the offense. Doesn’t take much to do the math from there when you have Brady ($30 mil), ME13 ($18.4 mil), D Smith ($14.5 mil), Marpet ($11 mil), Jensen ($10 Mil), Brate ($6 mil), OJ ($3.5 mil), Godwin ($2.3 mil) & RoJo ($1.9 mil). That’s almost $98 mil COMMITTED right there for only 10 players on offense … and we still need a starting RT plus another 13-14 other players on offense.
But hey, football’s the least of our worries right now, so maybe my concerns about what’s going on with the Bucs will all work out in the end … whenever we get to play football again.
March 18th, 2020 at 5:20 pm
Alaskan
That 326PM post was great and thought provoking. I hadn’t stopped to think about all the people who could benefit from Brady…Indeed I agree this could be the final seminar for BL that will make him an excellent OC.
And great points about “Brady’s input”.
D.R. I understand your fear about the defense. You make valid points. I’m growing a little more sanguine about it now that we have both JPP..Shaq..White..LVD and three very promising young CB’s. Like you I want Suh and I get the concern about safety. And the major concern…DEPTH.
That’s usually a concern for all teams in the cap era. We have to hope Licht can discover some cheap gems in UDFA’s and that some of our young guys continue to grow.
It’s your last paragraph that really worries me. TB12 and BA are on the final contracts…they are done messing around…just win baby. But in the best of circumstances it will be a real challenge to implement any offense with no time to really prepare.
I do not see training before August…IF…IF camp could open on August 1st then I’m optimistic because ALL of these guys except Brady had an entire year in BA’s offense. Brady is the GOAT for reasons that far exceed his physical gifts…he is smart and composed. If we get into camp by August 1st I remain optimistic.
IF…this drags out into the fall and the NFL is left with a cobbled together schedule over the remaining time….perhaps though if for example they can’t start until Oct 1st they’ll just play one preseason game or scrmmage tee it up for 16 and put the SB off until Feb or even March.
Talk about uncertainty.
March 18th, 2020 at 5:26 pm
JimmyJack Says:
March 18th, 2020 at 3:40 pm
813 wrong. JP Peterson who had the scoop reported Brady will have input on the roster.
like i said at the top, im sure he will have input….lol…but he wont have control….he wont have final say…he wont be able to say, “cut this player..sign this player”….thats control…
the convo will be more like,”you know who runs the perfect slant pattern out of the slot?…(X)….he’s a FA….maybe we can bring him in”….or…(X) would be the perfect RB in this system…great hands and great at pass pro…lets give him a look….thats input….
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 18th, 2020 at 6:21 pm
I think the bigger question is how will his relationship with Clyde Christianson be ?
March 18th, 2020 at 7:12 pm
StPete … Uncertainty is the key word right now, but obviously football is the least of everyone’s concerns. And as far as the defense goes, I’ll feel a lot better once they sign Suh. I still consider him to be the cog in this whole DLine. I love Vita Vea, but his game is much different than Suh’s IMO. Suh’s not only powerful, but he’s got that veteran’s savvy that Vea will pick up over time; makes Suh the perfect teacher. And with signing Brady. it’s almost a foregone conclusion that our Rnd 1 & 2 picks will be OT & RB. No 3rd Rnd DT will even come close to replacing Suh (a 3rd Rnd DT might replace Allen or Nunez-Roches though, both of whom are ALSO FAs).
And losing Nassib will hurt more than folks know yet I’m convinced. Some seem to think that Nelson will just slide in & give the same production, but IMO that’s unlikely based on what I saw of Nelson last year. In a sense, letting Carl go was the difference between paying for Carr or Bridgewater and paying for Brady. I understand the trade-off, but that just positively helped the offense at the expense of the defense IMO. Bucs have been doing that for years, and every time it’s bitten us in the arse. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s different this time though.
March 18th, 2020 at 8:59 pm
DR great post, and I agree losing Nassib will hurt more than most believe, but scale wise I believe the gain out weighs the loss. While Nassib equated to QB pressure which leads to errant throws and ints, the subtraction of the giveaways and inaccuracy or inability to read a progression for the open receiver will equate to more points scored with a lot less points given.
March 19th, 2020 at 2:57 am
Getting Gronk this year or next would be the icing on the cake.