Fitting With The Bucs
April 1st, 2020
“Oh Tom, you will fit in just fine in Tampa Bay.”
Even though new Bucs quarterback Tom Brady has said it and Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians has said it, there is still doubt if Brady is a good fit for Arians.
Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio scoffed at this notion as he did research and found the Patriots and Bucs used a lot of the same formations last year, except for 21-personnel.
A spreadsheeter for BSPN initially thought this was a bad marriage but upon further research, follically-challenged Billy Barnwell also thinks Brady will adapt.
The fit for Brady in Tampa
… In other words, we’re looking at how far Brady’s teams have thrown the football versus Arians’ quarterbacks:
In nine of his past 11 seasons as the person in charge of the offense, Arians has led one of the three deepest passing attacks in football. Brady and the Patriots have ranked in the top 10 once in that time. Everyone reading this has seen Brady play quarterback. I think he’s an adequate deep thrower at this point of his career, but it’s hardly his game to throw the ball 10 yards downfield per attempt. Across a group of quarterbacks that includes Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Winston, Arians has instructed his quarterbacks to fire missiles downfield like no other coach in football. Arians is no risk it, no biscuit. Brady typically finds a way to get the biscuit without risking much at all.
Do I think Arians is going to hand Brady the 2019 Bucs playbook and tell him to go stretch his arm for the fall to come? No. He’s too good of a coach for that. My suspicion is that we’ll see some of the play-action concepts Brady loved in New England integrated into Arians’ attack. The 67-year-old coach will install more quick game to play to Brady’s strength of getting the ball out quickly and accurately to an open receiver. Both the Patriots and the Buccaneers went with empty formations more than 100 times in 2019, which ranked among the top 10 teams in the league. Both Arians and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels asked their quarterback to make quick, accurate passes in those scenarios. Brady will be better there than Winston was in 2019. After all that, yes, I do think we’ll see Brady take shots downfield more frequently with the Bucs than he did with New England. We won’t see the McDaniels offense exported to Tampa or the Arians offense thrust upon Brady, but we’ll see something that incorporates the strengths of both.
The thing Kirwan brought up is interesting. The Patriots ran a whole lot of 21-personnel ,which is also known as “regular” and features a fullback.
The Bucs don’t have a fullback.
If the Bucs can go out and find a true fullback who can catch — they are cheap as the position is damn near extinct — then this hand-wringing over Brady fitting with the Bucs will become a non-issue.
April 1st, 2020 at 9:17 am
Both Godwin and Evans get consistent separation (Evans mental game will need to continue to step up) and will no longer have to contend with balls thrown off target on these required quick-read and throw routes.
I cannot wait to see how much drag and rub routes will increase now given the astronomical increase in throwing accuracy with Brady.
YAC is going to go up along with the completion %.
April 1st, 2020 at 9:22 am
Also the Tom was 4th in attempts last year he was carrying a load also kinda similar.
April 1st, 2020 at 9:42 am
They can run 21 personnel with an extra TE back there or WR like KC does; become innovative like andy reid and confuse the defense. Most teams use analytics when breaking down game film; so if you watch the chiefs and most of the good college coaches and teams they wrinkle of up their personnel and formations to keep on the offensive
April 1st, 2020 at 9:45 am
“quick and accurate” is going to be new for us
April 1st, 2020 at 9:45 am
Of course he is not a fit and never gonna be
The world’s best winning player on the world’s worse sports team…
We have to create a fit
April 1st, 2020 at 9:54 am
Yes Licht go out and find a true fullback lol doesn’t matter if it’s damn near extinct.😑
April 1st, 2020 at 9:57 am
And he is not here for the Bucs. He is here to fight with Belichick hahaha
But I need the entertainment so come on Brady take a shot or eat some Ws with toes or something.
April 1st, 2020 at 10:01 am
I think Brady is smart enough and been around long enough to run a different offense , as Arians said they run a lot of the same stuff already.
April 1st, 2020 at 10:12 am
Why didn’t the QB whisperer change the playbook to help Winston? Slants, shorter crossing routes?
April 1st, 2020 at 10:14 am
Joe you keep posting these articles and theories of what you call “BSPN” journalist’s about Brady and Bruce Arians meshing. Isn’t that a bit odd? I’ll listen to Jenna Laine but all I have to say is Brady,Evans, Godwin,and Brate. Brady will do whatever plays Brady wants to do.
April 1st, 2020 at 10:27 am
*”Brady, Evans, Godwin, Brate, and Howard.”
Also excited to see what Justin Watson and Scotty Miller can do with an accurate QB.
April 1st, 2020 at 11:01 am
ya know…alan cross was a pretty good fullback/ te/ special teams guy…
he might be a brady type guy, and to block and protect him back there…
i swear, i would rethink bringing him back from the koetter regime…
he might be just the right fit…and priced right…
#LetsGetTheGravyTrainRolling
April 1st, 2020 at 11:02 am
forgotten man:
alan cross…
somewhere in mississippi coaching…
bring the mofo back…
he was a glue guy…blue collar type worker…
look into this bucco bruce…
thank me later
April 1st, 2020 at 11:04 am
“a true fullback who can catch”
Virtually everybody I respect on this blog have brought up AJ Dillon.
After watching his highlight reels I agree. JJ dislikes ROJO’s receiving despite his high reception % saying he looks “awkward”. I do not disagree with JJ. ROJO can catch but he’s not a natural. Dillon has soft hands and 4.5 speed for a 250 lb bruiser.
My question..perhaps fear is what makes us think we can get him? Other teams are seeing the same highlights as us. We’re not going to use a 2nd rounder on him…are we sure he’ll be there in the 3rd?
April 1st, 2020 at 11:27 am
This might all be moot by Sept. We might not even have a season to play. Then what? Brady playing next year after having a year off? I don’t see it. Let’s pray we even have a season.
April 1st, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Clod
I join you in praying we have a season but not to simply see Brady as a Buc.
If we have a season it will mean that the tragedy has passed for both football and non football fans alike.
April 1st, 2020 at 1:33 pm
Bring back the “super back” Danny Vitale. I think he is actually a NE fullback.
April 1st, 2020 at 2:40 pm
Dam Wlydcat, harsh but true words.
I think we will see Brady’s input on this offense, and I don’t think it will be some carbon copy from NE. He’s just as valuable as another coach in the QB room, and he has an opportunity to bring in the play concepts he wants to run but maybe couldn’t under Bill’s dictatorship. I’m excited to see what it looks like on the field!
April 1st, 2020 at 5:50 pm
Joe I absolutely feel we as a fan base should be pushing for the Bucs to draft a FB. Better yet let’s hype it up for Dillon as our first pick if Ruggs is off the board. I’ve said it before that I feel our first pick should be Ruggs to improve our special teams. I would like to see us active in the draft and get Ruggs, Delpit, and Dillon. Edwards-Helaire would be a luxury. I like RoJo as a feature back moving forward he had a nice season I just feel he needs more situations with extra blocking in front of him. He can catch out the backfield but I like the special teams work of CEH. He’s a great pickup for that end of the football for our kickoff return. Rd1). Ruggs,Rd2.). Delpit, Rd3). Edwards-Helaire Dd4). AJ Dillon Rd4). Another CB to challenge, Rd5 OG, Rd6)