The Bucs Make Sense For Brady, And Vice Versa
March 6th, 2020
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Bucs are going to give this their best shot. Most likely, they’ve already started.
Tom Brady isn’t ready to retire and neither is Bruce Arians, especially if he can talk the NFL’s ultimate winner into taking Giselle and the kids to the Bay area for a year or two.
The odds on the Bucs landing Brady remain remote, but prying Jon Gruden away from the Raiders looked like a longshot 18 years ago. Then the Glazers stepped front and center, shoved Rich McKay aside and worked a midnight deal with Al Davis.
When the fax machines stopped whirring, Tampa Bay had a new head coach and football at One Buc Place would never be the same.
According to BetOnline, Brady is better than even money to return to New England. If Brady departs as a free agent, Tennessee is listed at 5-1 to be his new home, followed by the Raiders and Chargers at 6-1, the Colts at 9-1 and the 49ers at 10-1.
Next up is Tampa Bay at 12-1.
Shock And Awe
Why would the Bucs be interested in a 42-year-old quarterback who averaged only 6.6 yards per pass attempt? Brady ranked 27th in the league, below Joe Flacco, Case Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick and well below Winston’s 8.2 average.
It’s the rings, baby. It’s the leadership. It’s the legacy. It’s the buzz that would spread throughout a fan base longing for NFL relevance.
We already know how Bruce Arians feels about No. 12. If Brady becomes available, Arians is all in. That means Jason Licht is all in.
The shock of 30 interceptions still hasn’t worn off on Arians, so the idea of replacing Winston with the ultimate decision-maker under center is rather appealing. Despite averaging 35 passes per game in his career, Brady has never thrown more than 14 picks in a season.
His 1.8 percent career interception rate ranks as the fourth-lowest in the league’s 100-year history.
Arians has Brady in his sights, so it’s logical to assume Arians would be willing to tweak his offense accordingly. That means addressing a pedestrian ground game and getting O.J. Howard more involved. That means a shift to shorter passes more conducive to Brady’s quick release.
Arians can lay on the charm, but the Glazers can lay out the cash.
Ultimate Test
And while Arians talks about the incomparable tandem of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Joel and Bryan Glazer can try to sell Brady on the significance of turning around a beleaguered franchise.
Getting out from under Bill Belichick’s hoodie and ending Tampa Bay’s 12-year playoff drought would be the ultimate proof that Brady’s greatness extends beyond the reach of a Hall of Fame coach.
That could be enticing for a generational player who likely feels disrespected by Belichick at this point.
The Glazers like sizzle and Brady is enough of a big deal to demand their attention. This isn’t like making a call on Peyton Barber or Breshad Perriman.
Bucs co-owner Bryan Glazer
This is an opportunity to lure an NFL icon to One Buc Place and send those phones in the ticket office into overdrive. The Glazers have proven to be a savvy business family and Tom Brady is good business.
If the Bucs can land Brady and groom someone behind him, Buc Nation will be ecstatic. What a jump-start to the 2020 season it would be.
There are plenty of reasons Brady would pass on Tampa Bay. It takes two to tango, but this dance has only just begun. Arians has already pushed his chips into the middle of the table … he’s all in.
The Glazers are standing behind Arians, wearing a No. 12 jersey and egging him on.
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IRA WILL BE THERE. WILL YOU?
March 6th, 2020 at 10:18 am
Ive been saying it for 3 months now…..
BRADY! BRADY! BRADY! BRADY!
March 6th, 2020 at 10:19 am
All those Boston Bruins fans who were at the LIGHTNING game the other night would be able to buy Brady BUCS jerseys… and continue rooting for their boy.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:27 am
Not going to happen. Brady will remain a Patriot.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:27 am
If you are done with Winston, and you are bringing in an older QB to bridge a rookie draft pick…..then why not bring in the best?
I’d give up some of the deep passes for more action with the TE’s & RBs…..and far fewer interceptions.
From a ticket sales standpoint…..it certainly seems like it would be a winning move…..all the talk would be about the possibility of a home team Super Bowl.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:28 am
damn ira having a joe biden moment this morning. brady is not coming to this irrelevant small market team that is much closer to the basement than a championship. brady has the same number of rings as this franchise has lifetime playoff wins. sure he is going to end his glorious career on t he worst franchise in the nfl… you people are so adorable.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:29 am
Finally, somebody is making some sense.
Bucs need to make a big splash move at the QB position to excite and energize the fan base. Something to cause some much needed big time excitement. Something to bring back in the longtime fans and fill up the seats at Ray Jay. Something to get the fans to feel and say things positive about the Bucs.
Signing Brady would do all of that.
Standing pat with Winston will accomplish none of that, only continue the Bucs downward spiral.
I personally don’t see Brady leaving the Patriots.
HOWEVER, if he did, the Glazers should be on their private jet to Foxboro.
IMMEDIATELY.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:38 am
I hope not ! The Bucs do not have the $$$ to pay him, unless they scrap any idea of keeping the defense together. Draft a QB, and, by the way, there’s an experienced QB already on the roster, not named Blaine Gabbert.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:47 am
Why would Brady want to take the chance that he could very well fail in TB, when he may have the opportunity to play for a team that has just been in the playoffs. I believe Vegas odds, not a chance he goes to a team that thinks they are ready to make a big move but have nothing to show that they truly are.
March 6th, 2020 at 10:54 am
I’m sure we are a better bet than the 49ers. That is a perfect example of stupid reporters starting a rumor and it spreading. Mahomes beat 49ers defense not garropalo, he’s not a world beater but is on the cheap and hardly the reason they lost. Either way brady has to learn a new offense so who has the best weapons? I’ll be glad when free agency is over who we can focus on the draft
March 6th, 2020 at 10:57 am
lol. Stop.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Great, and we have him for, what, two or three years and then we’re back to needing a QB again.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:01 am
That’s crazy, not going to happen. It’s not 12:1, more like 500:1. Brady has nothing to gain and would only lose his standing as the greatest QB in NFL history by screwing up his legacy if he signs with the Bucs.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:03 am
Joe says…”The odds on the Bucs landing Brady remain remote, but prying Jon Gruden away from the Raiders looked like a longshot 18 years ago. Then the Glazers stepped front and center, shoved Rich McKay aside and worked a midnight deal with Al Davis.”… Hate to remind you Joe, bur 18 years ago “Malcolm” Glazer made that deal. And after Malcolm’s illness the Glazer boys were tighter than a frog’s a.. and wouldn’t spend any money at all on the Bucs. Gruden had to recruit older guys that would play for him for peanuts, but he still won more than he lost. Turns out that the Glazer boys took all that money to buy ManU, where they have the distinction of ruining teams in 2 Countries. They actually fired Gruden for going 9-7 3 times with old guys.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:03 am
Winston is gone. Believe it.
The Glazer’s are businessmen. Attendance has gone down significantly since Winston’s first year here. The Bucs have a negative vibe about them locally and nationally.
The head coach called Winston an “unknown quantity”. So, if they announce that he is returning, are we all going to rush out and buy season tickets to see a team led by a player the head coach called an “unknown quantity” at QB? After Arians’ comments, no one will buy tickets to see a QB that the coach has trashed, and who by all accounts, wouldn’t even have a starting job anywhere else in the league. No matter how you slice it, Winston has a negative vibe about him both on the field and off the field. He hasn’t eaten many W’s in his time here. The coach isn’t excited about him – how do they expect the fans to be excited about him? He’s gone.
If he’s gone, it only makes sense to get an established veteran and groom a young player. Brady makes the most sense, from a team and marketing standpoint. If not Brady, then Bridgewater will do.
As for the new uniforms, I have a prediction.
The team knows that in order to use the creamsicle uniforms once or twice a year, that they need white helmets. The fans want to see the old orange once in a while, and the Glazers will never again miss an opportunity to market the orange merchandise. So, count on white helmets.
In the first uniform announcement video, the painter paints the secondary ship logo with pewter, red, and orange colors. In the second video that was released, after the “3,2,1” countdown, there is a half-second blip with the ship logo once again.
I think that the ship logo becomes the main logo, and will be the decal on the white helmets.
It makes sense, as the ship fits the “old with a new spin” mantra, and because the ship is the symbol and the main attraction that makes our stadium unique.
So, white helmets with the ship logo on them. Tons of new merchandise featuring the ship logo. Regular uniforms that look like the Super Bowl team, but with deeper red color and a few minor updates. The ability to convert the white helmet to Bucco Bruce from time to time.
New uniforms, a good draft, resign the defensive stars, and get a new QB. A nice recipe to try to drum up some excitement to sell more tickets.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:04 am
Richard Dickson Says:
March 6th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Great, and we have him for, what, two or three years and then we’re back to needing a QB again.
behind bucs oline you will be lucky to have him for 3 series…
March 6th, 2020 at 11:07 am
Could be why Arians didn’t trade OJ to New England.
Looking ahead to what he can offer TB12 surely involved a prospect like Howard.
He will all of a sudden work harder and in a contract year, probably be the best TE in the league.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:09 am
“John Sinclear Says:
March 6th, 2020 at 10:38 am
I hope not ! The Bucs do not have the $$$ to pay him, unless they scrap any idea of keeping the defense together. Draft a QB, and, by the way, there’s an experienced QB already on the roster, not named Blaine Gabbert.”
You’re right. Byron Leftwich is experienced and familiarity with offense.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:10 am
@ Formerly
Ummmm Joe didn’t say anything.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:11 am
Please..No Brady here. He can’t run and is about 2 hits away from the Nursing home! I would not waste mega millions on Brady. Let him go elsewheres…Please!
March 6th, 2020 at 11:14 am
Brady to Gisel: hey babe, we are heading to tampa… awe tommy, you bringing jokes today….. no you are going to tampa. the kids and I have not been vaccinated for small markets…. good luck I’m buying the kids Mahomes Jersys!!!!
March 6th, 2020 at 11:16 am
@ Billy, You are right! it was Ira. Sorry Joe.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:24 am
Had Brady got drafted by a crappy team, coach and system that didn’t fit him he could have easily washed out of this league in a few years. It sounds crazy but circumstances is everything for Qbs especially ones drafted in the 6th round. Brady was an amazing player in his prime in Belichick’s system. That’s not what we’d be getting. We’d just be taking a huge expensive risk on a aging Qb who will only be playing for a year or two with a much different coach and system. I guess if you completely lost faith in Jameis and felt great about A mid round Qb in this years draft it may make sense. That’s not my position. I still believe the upside to seeing Jameis in BAs system a 2nd year is too great to give up on.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:24 am
see let’s explore the headlines for a minute… which makes more sense!
Brady to help rebuild Nashville!!!! GOAT is a titan
Brady and Gruden ready to storm the strip!!!! Brady is a raider
Massage Palor Expert Kraft Mediates peace between Bellicheat and Brady! Brady a Pat!
Brady signs with Tampa Bay! ouch!
yeah, tampa is surely in the running for the greatest all time when their are much better and more proven options available. you people are insane if you think the goat has even thought about tampa and that senile old coot BA.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:33 am
No way Brady plays for the Glazers.
March 6th, 2020 at 11:53 am
dont think brady is leaving….
but obviously, JW is PLAN F….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!!!
March 6th, 2020 at 12:57 pm
Never gonna happen.
But hey if the Bucs want to waste their time and resources on something that will never happen, well…. that wouldn’t surprise me at all!
March 6th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
a statue behind this O-Line, yeah sounds like a match only the gullies will be super excited about!
March 6th, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Regardless of whether Brady lands in Tampa or elsewhere (I’d love to see him in a Bucs uniform, although I too think that’s highly unlikely), there’s a more intriguing issue in this dance. How will Brady do under another organization’s coaching and offensive scheme? How will Belichick do without the accuracy and game control of a QB that knows the system inside and out? Will only one succeed, will neither succeed, or will both succeed. I kind of suspect that these two are so linked in mindset that it will take a toll on both, and I suspect that eventually both will retire several branches below their current lofty perches.
March 6th, 2020 at 4:13 pm
Is this a real article? Jesus. Get a clue.
March 6th, 2020 at 4:55 pm
What are the odds on the Bucs not getting Brady? Whatever the number, mortgage your house on it.
So, it’s not going to happen. But I do agree in that the Bucs are a good fit. While Brady’s numbers were down last year, his receiver core was mostly awful – and here, that wouldn’t be an issue. Also Brady still throws a really nice deep ball, and again, with this receiver core and offense, he could throw it down field. Of course when ANYONE throws it downfield as much as the Bucs have for the last 4-years, you’re going to get a lot of turnovers – so Brady’s INTs would be easily in the double digits – but unlike the triggered dopes here, I’m OK with that so long as you’re scoring points. Now how would Brady do there, is he really going to improve on Winston’s 3rd most points in the NFL? Not likely.
But Brady is Brady, if you can get the best QB in the history of the NFL, you get him. I think it gives you, perhaps, 2 legit shots at a SB. Brady is not a shell of himself, he’s not broken down, he’s still playing really well. I like Winston a ton, he should be back, but if you can get Brady, you do it. Not only is it Brady, it would be a shock to the system of a dead franchise.
But, as I’ve said all offseason, I fully expect the Bucs to be a deep playoff team next year with Winston – this is a team that is a kicker away from being 9-7, and another b/s ref job from being 10-6. That was with a defense that was God awful for half the season and with the offense losing two pro-bowl WRs down the stretch. The team is on the verge of something special, and yet triggered idiots want Winston to fail so badly, they rather the team be a loser than for Winston to lead the team to being a winner.
Anywho, Brady isn’t coming, but it’s the offseason, so you speculate about stuff.
March 6th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Think about this from the Glazer’s standpoint…hell think about it from our standpoint as fans! We have a chance to see a story as captivating as Joe Namath’s SB win against the Colts. We have a “chance” to see real history.
So if the Glazers stick with JW they gamble that BA can cut the turnovers and win and perhaps even get to the SB here in Tampa. You guys can set those odds.
If they sign Brady they gamble the old guy still has enough left in the tank for BA to engineer a winning offense with him and reach another SB here in Tampa. Again I’ll let you guys set those odds.
Perhaps you think the odds are better with JW at QB..or Brady…but there can be no question about the payoff. IF JW wins another SB that would be great and we’d be the talk of the league for a year.
If Brady did it…add up all that IRA pointed out about what would happen to Brady’s legacy….the entire story…Brady would reach rarefied air and we’d be part of that HISTORY!!!!
The odds of actually getting to the SB here in Tampa are very long indeed whether it’s JW or Brady…but they are a lot closer than the payoff which would differ hugely depending who won.
Think about this from the actual STORY!!! Sports is entertainment and it’s those stories that entertain us which is why we still see video of Namath running off the field holding up a number 1. That was FIFTY years ago.
IF Tom Brady somehow came to Tampa and won without Belicheat…without Kraft…without those Pat fans…if he took a totally moribund franchise and turned it into an SB team…and they were the first team to play an SB in their home stadium….Yeah I get it…one of the major reasons it would be so memorable is that it is far fetched…not likely..but we can still dream…it’s the off season…it’s Friday night…pass the bong or your martini whichever you prefer I’ll take some of each please…LMAO…BELIEVE BROTHERS! If it takes Titos or Florida’s finest herb…at least we can dream of history tonight.