“Easier For Him Today Than It’s Ever Been”
May 28th, 2020
A friend and former bodyguard of Tom Brady envisions a few specific things from the 2020 Buccaneers offense.
Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light played 11 years for the Patriots (2001-2011), and this morning he was chattering on SiriusXM NFL Radio about what Bucs fans would and wouldn’t see from Brady and Rob Gronkowski this season.
First, Light said a lot of smiles will be forthcoming because Brady, he said, will have just the right touch when it comes to utilizing and managing his many new Tampa Bay toys.
“Mixing and matching and keeping people off guard, because Tommy has been around so long now that he can see things developing way before most possibly ever could, and he’s really comfortable playing the position of quarterback,” Light said.
“As a matter of fact, I would go so far to say that it’s probably easier for him today than it’s ever been to do his job.”
As for Gronkowski, Light emphasized how much Gronk absolutely loves to play the game. But Light believes, as do many ex-player analysts, that the Bucs won’t ask Gronk to be the punishing blocker he once was.
“He’s giddy when he gets the wham block and most tight ends would take pass on anything that had to do with throwing their body into a 350-pound defensive tackle. So, you know, they’re not going to ask him to do those things, I don’t think. Maybe every now and then as a changeup. But I think they’re going to allow him to, you know, stretch the field, run those seam routes and just find ways of gettin’ open and use that connection that he and Tommy have always had.”
Joe sure hopes the Bucs don’t go too soft with Gronk. Heck, he’s a free agent after the season and he might just retire again. No need to go crazy saving the guy.
Let him be the old Gronk for a few weeks and then manage his wear from there.
As for the “wham” block. Arians seemed in love with it when he last called a Patriots game — about 10 days before he got the Bucs job.
May 28th, 2020 at 5:30 pm
I hope OJ Howard wants to and can learn from Gronk. No reason he shouldn’t be one of the best TEs in the league.
May 28th, 2020 at 6:16 pm
If adding Brady and Gronk doesn’t elevate OJ to the player we hoped he would be, nothing will. Last year was rough. He looked stiff as hell.
Go Bucs!
In BA I Trust!
May 28th, 2020 at 6:27 pm
For 10 millions dollars you run his ass into the ground…maybe give him.some rest for the playoffs but thats it!! Earn yo money home boy!!!
May 28th, 2020 at 6:30 pm
prediction, this will be howards’ last season in tampa, he’s soft, will not dish out punishment to smaller DB’s instead chooses to go out of bounds, drops more than he catches, his blocking sux, tb12 will give the nod to brate and gronk, jmho
May 28th, 2020 at 6:47 pm
I think James has it.
May 28th, 2020 at 7:54 pm
Let’s give Howard the benefit of playing with Brady at QB and the opportunity to learn from one of the best to play the game at the TE position and see if he can be the player we hoped when we drafted him in the 1st round.
May 28th, 2020 at 8:11 pm
I might be the biggest OJ hater here……..But it’s needless to keep railing on the guy.
Was he the worst football player on the field when we opened our season vs San Fran, and probably cost us the win and lose all our momentum? Yes.
Did he probably lose trust from his coach after that performance solving the mystery why he wasn’t used? Probably
Did he suck just as bad when we needed him to step up with Chris and Mike out? Yes
Was he a huge reason why our run blocking was terrible? Yes
…………well, I was trying to make a point. Lost my train of thought.
May 28th, 2020 at 8:17 pm
Oh, right my point was it’s gonna be a new team next year and they want OJ to be a part of it. No need to live in a negative past. Since he’s a Bucs let’s stop hating on the guy and try and support him.
If OJ continues to struggle the good news is we got players to snatch up his snaps and we can just roll right along with OJ as a backup. But until then let’s hope he steps his game up and can produce points for us………..And it don’t matter if we are right or wrong. We fans, you don’t get bonus points for being right……. Right now it’s off-season. No reason the hope for the worst……..Hope for the best and let the team prepare for the worst(and at TE we are defientally well prepared).
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 28th, 2020 at 10:24 pm
To Jimmy’s point. O.J. Howard was bad last year but no reason he cannot be good this year. He was a better than average tight end in 2018. Why not have a 2018 or better version of OJ Howard this season.
I wonder why Cam Brate is getting a pass. He was just as bad as OJ Howard last year. An even worse blocker. That Houston game – game 16 was just horrible. 3 interceptions, 1 blocked fg, and a fumble in the 1st 18 minutes of that game. We are down 3 points with 4 and 1/2 minutes left. One of the no name temporary receivers (#18) misses a block on 3rd and 1 against Vern Hargreaves and ROJO loses 2 years.
So 4th and 3 with 3 and 1/2 minutes left and Brate drops one right in his hands. Easy pitch and catch except Brate does not catch it with the game on the line. He had a total of 5 targets that game for 17 yards.
He was good early in his career and has been declining year after year. Long term why would we want Brate.
May 28th, 2020 at 10:36 pm
Geno- Get with it man. We’re blaming all the losses on Jameis now. Quit pointing out other team errors that contributed to the losses. We’re judging Jameis without his top two WRs playing with a bum knee and broken thumb in his throwing hand.
May 29th, 2020 at 12:12 am
Stan,
Winston still managed to put up over 300 yds passing . The game before over 400yds.
I’m not sure why a QB with that type of production needs a litany of excuses. It makes zero sense. Last 3 games, 1000yds passing. Last 4, 1400! Career highs!
May 29th, 2020 at 5:17 am
I was watching an old Bama game the other day, and Howard destroyed a DB springing a TD run. Last year I thought he was one of our best TE’s blocking in the run game. Has he lived up to his draft billing? No. Should he have a better year with Tom at the controls? I believe he will.
May 29th, 2020 at 6:01 am
I’m with you guys in HOPING that Howard has a breakout year. The fact of the matter is that, if he can’t elevate his game with a guy like Gronk in the room, he doesn’t belong playing football.
He would be a great asset if he can improve.
May 29th, 2020 at 9:49 am
how much would brady enjoy playing with george kittle…?
those 2 would just be crazy together…
oj playing with brady and gronk, and maybe watching some of how kittle deals with opponents, should have oj making considerable strides…
one can only hope !
May 29th, 2020 at 12:48 pm
He can block and catch for 9mil or just catch for a re structured deal. 😎
May 30th, 2020 at 1:59 pm
@geno that’s a good point, both Howard and Brate had subpar seasons and had multiple bad drops / fumbles during critical game situations.
I think having Gronk should really help the elevate their game. Obviously Howard has the higher ceiling, but like others have said, he has to actually want it. I wanna seem his play with some anger. Maybe Licht needs to tell him to start playing nasty like he did with Vea.