Tom Brady’s Roster-Building “Overblown”
February 24th, 2021
Doesn’t demand
Joe knows this irks certain people at One Buc Palace but contrary to popular opinion, Bucs park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, trophy-throwing Bucs Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady is not the team’s shadow pro player personnel director.
Today the Bucs’ shot-callers held a Zoom press conference. Normally they would have face the NFL media from a podium under the klieglights of TV networks inside a cavernous convention center in frigid Indianapolis during combine week.
The 2021 combine is kaput thanks to The Sickness and today would have been the normally-scheduled day when Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht had their various media responsibilities.
Hence, why the two were available for questions less than a month after winning the team’s second Super Bowl.
Licht was asked, given that other NFL quarterbacks are publicly grousing about the lack of input they have into roster moves, how much weight and influence does Brady throw around at One Buc Palace?
Licht was pretty emphatic, though not nearly as much as what many who type on keyboards for a living believe.
“Bruce and I both talk to Tom. I mean, why wouldn’t you with the resume he has?” Licht said. “But I think it gets a little bit overblown, Tom isn’t banging down the door saying, ‘We need to sign this guy; we need to sign that guy. Bruce, we need to draft this guy.’
“We ask him his opinion at times and he gives us his opinion at times but he never mandates anything. He’s actually been a joy to work with. So I think a little bit of that gets overblown.
“We like to [consult] with him on certain things just like Bruce does with the gameplan. But there has never been any kind of animosity or directive from him and in fact, most of the things that we do we don’t consult with him on.”
Then Arians added, “Yeah, I’m not sure [Brady] knew who Tristan Wirfs was last year.”
Licht finished his answer by saying Brady “didn’t know Leonard Fournette was coming into the building” last summer.
Now Joe can understand why the Bucs may not consult with Brady on matters when it concerns the defense.
And Joe simply cannot believe if Brady didn’t want a specific offensive player added to the roster, that Arians and/or Licht would ignore Brady’s input and sign the guy anyway.
February 24th, 2021 at 4:35 pm
You hit the nail right on the head, Joe. If Brady DOES NOT want a player, you can best believe he won’t be on the roster.
As far as bringing one in….that may be a different story.
If Brady didn’t want D. Smith at left tackle…..with a non-guaranteed contract, you can best believe that Licht would be trading him for a 10th round pick.
February 24th, 2021 at 4:37 pm
if he wants a player, first he is 90% sure that it is possible financially, he don’t need to be direct, his opinions should be LAWS in NFL… JL & BA know that, so why not listen; he is a super hard worker, that from the worst team, won the SB, so why not to listen?!!! Actually they listen every bit of advice/request he has to say… Duhh JL and BA did have any success til TB12 came here…..
..what should been said is that TB12 is a gentleman and he knows how NOT to offend your bosses, and he respect them back because they have common sense and listen to the logic of the GOAT.
In my opinion that is the biggest skill JL and BA have. Listen to the GOAT!
February 24th, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Licht and BA deserve a lot of credit for our superbowl run and the national media that loves to create these narratives about President Brady needs to give our coaches and management their due.
February 24th, 2021 at 4:38 pm
Not a shock. I am sure that there will continue to be some that say that BL can not coach, that Licht has no clue who to draft and that it is all because of Tom Brady.
TB12 is clearly the leader on the field. But to win a Super Bowl you have to have a lot of guys doing things the right way. That includes the OL coaches and the DB coach making a difference in just two seasons.
February 24th, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Well Jason I am so sorry to call you full of poo but you are sir, AB and Gronk both Brady requests. No matter what you say to us we all know Brady has a lot of input on who is on the team. Please, I realize Brady having input may put a strain on your job security but let’s face it Brady has input.
February 24th, 2021 at 4:46 pm
He brought Gronk out of retirement and I think BA and Licht gave in on AB once injuries at the position revealed the writing on the wall. Beyond that, yeah what mountains did Brady move? None, but Playoff Lenny maybe doesn’t come here without the presence of Brady, and maybe Licht doesn’t trade for Steve McClendon if they weren’t all in this year.
His impact is unquestionable but perhaps more indirect than direct.
February 24th, 2021 at 5:11 pm
If Brady WAS the shadow pro personnel director, do you think Licht and Arians would admit it?
February 24th, 2021 at 5:16 pm
…”keeping the defense together”, that is BA the most important thing.
so ShB stays… ??? and CG goes….????
February 24th, 2021 at 5:24 pm
Brady save licht and Bruce job. Admit it. So yes both lick Brady’s balls. Admit it. And what Brady wants he gets.
February 24th, 2021 at 5:34 pm
And none of it matters one way or the other. The results say it
all. WORLD CHAMPS.
February 24th, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Do they consult with the Realist and Ndog for player personnel decisions? The sheep? The “clueless?”
February 24th, 2021 at 6:24 pm
Of course he has a say, he knows what a winning offense looks like. Someone mentioned it above, if you don’t want to put in the work, you’re OUT. Make no mistakes, Brady’s plays to win period, you share in his vision or you’re a loser, no and it’s or buts.
February 24th, 2021 at 7:17 pm
Ask Justin Watson if you think Brady doesn’t have and pull.
February 24th, 2021 at 8:16 pm
Of course it’s overblown. All these unknown new Bucs (brady) fans are giving him ALL the credit. If he is the only reason we won then he is the reason for that final season in New England. It’s stupid to hear people say he left there because he needed weapons, came here with weapons and we won, his mental edge is what we needed most. I know they’ll be a massive exodus of fake fans when he is gone but I think the losing is over whether Brady is here or not and whether we are in the Super Bowl or not. No reason not to expect playoffs the next 5 plus years
February 24th, 2021 at 8:16 pm
Alvin Scissors Harper Says:
February 24th, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Do they consult with the Realist and Ndog for player personnel decisions? The sheep? The “clueless?”
………………
Wouldn’t be fun if they came back just for One day!?!?!?
IF JW becomes the starter there next yr I will Scour the Saint’s blogs to see if I can find them.
February 24th, 2021 at 8:36 pm
Yeah, people seem to want to believe that Brady wields all kinds of power, because when you’re the GOAT, you could conceivably get away with it. Those rumors were flying before he signed, lending credence to the likelihood that it was purely speculative as 99% of pre-free-agency talk is. It’s NFL talk business which is mostly hot air to keep the money flowing in the sport industrial complex… Just like when people started talking at midseason that there was a growing rift between Brady and Arians… and then everybody took it to be true. I’d put this stuff about Brady’s power in the front office in the same category — mostly, if not entirely, BS. With the exception of Gronk, who I’m sure he pulled for.
February 24th, 2021 at 10:56 pm
Brady led Bucs to Super Bowl win.
One would have to be an idiot to try and minimize his contributions.
February 25th, 2021 at 1:37 am
Someone like Brady with a distinguished 20 year career deserve some input, and even younger stars like Russell Wilson deserve some too due to what they have accomplished. I know that the Texans are a train wreck, but a kid like Deshaun Watson supposedly demanding who gets hired as his coach is crazy talk. Hopefully NFL owners are not stupid enough to start letting the players run the show like they do in the NBA.
February 25th, 2021 at 7:05 am
Adrnagy, at least they know the right nuts to lick!! 😝
February 25th, 2021 at 9:35 am
No Brady, no Gronk no AB = no SB. Brady didn’t win it by himself but he knew what would get them there. The rest just stepped up and killed it.
February 25th, 2021 at 2:14 pm
Pewterpower full disclosure in a lifelong Patriots fan however I didn’t like the way they treated Brady towards the end and I’m happy that he left and moved on I did say to myself wherever he goes I’m going to be a fan of but I’m not so naive to think that it was all Brady it was a team effort so am I a fake fan Maybe but I am very happy for the bucks and I’m very happy for Brady and I’ll still have interests in the bucs after Brady leaves you guys had a great team I believe Brady was the missing piece but not the only reason it was a group effort ,team effort,so am I a fake fan,mb,but I am a fan