Anthony Nelson Chatted With Tom Brady About Lesser Discipline With The Bucs
April 4th, 2022
So how does it end up that legendary Tom Brady has a “conversation” with Bucs backup outside linebacker Anthony Nelson about how discipline and structure was a bigger deal at their last stops?
Considering that Nelson recently told the Sir Yacht podcast that he’s “still in awe” of Brady daily, so Joe doubts Nelson walked up to Brady and said something like, ‘Hey Tom, I bet you thought football was a lot more serious in New England.”
Without being prompted, Nelson talked on the podcast about playing for Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and he mentioned how Ferentz coached offensive line for Bill Belichick with the Browns. Then Nelson said he had a “conversation” with Brady about “the Belichick tree of more discipline and regimented and all that stuff.”
Interesting revelation in light of the last few weeks of wild Bucs happenings and rumors. Joe suspects Brady initiated the conversation with Nelson in some way to discuss how life under Ferentz and Belichick was a different and more structured animal.
Make no mistake. Joe has no problem with Bucco Bruce Arians. He’s the best head coach in franchise history and there certainly is more than one way to win and prepare. What Brady thinks/thought is what really matters, and maybe Brady was yearning for change, rightly or wrongly.
April 4th, 2022 at 11:50 am
Everyone has an opinion…..and we are certainly hearing them all on a daily basis.
But, it beats the alternative……no relevancy, boring, losing culture.
April 4th, 2022 at 11:52 am
Well hopefully with Bowles, Mr. Brady will be happy enough to sign an extension with us, I love me some Trask, but shoot, if Brady can ball, let’s ride it out till the time is right.
April 4th, 2022 at 12:03 pm
This was very well orchestrated. But the thing is, this was probably the difference maker in not winning the SB last year. We were so close. With some discipline we would have beaten the rams.
April 4th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
maybe Brady was yearning for change, rightly or wrongly.-
Maybe he was looking for an excuse that would sell his family to allow him to keep playing.
April 4th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
visyl summed it up perfectly.
April 4th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
If you want a good example of undisciplined take a look at the last team Bowles was the head coach of.
And how has that Belichick tight ship worked out without Brady?
Gets more weird every day. Does put Brady in a very good light IMO.
April 4th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
Are we beginning to sound like a gossip column? Go BUCS!
April 4th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Just speculating here but I kinda get the feeling the Belichik way was to one extreme. With the aspect of discipline, structure, and a your at work act like it attitude. Which over time even with all the winning took the fun out of the game and eventually rubbed Brady the wrong way. Then Brady gets to Tampa where players have less structure and more freedom. At first Brady probably welcomed the freedoms afforded by the coaching staff in Tampa. Those freedoms and laid back culture made football fun for Brady. Something he may not have felt in a long time. Then one day they’re in a regular season game or in the playoffs and someone makes a mental error and runs the wrong route or blows an assignment. Now that laid back coaching attitude has negatively effected game play. Brady is deadly serious when it’s game time. It probably drives him nuts to see guys that screwed around in practice screwing up in a game. And that’s on the coaching staff.
The conversation mentioned in the article probably went like this. “You know coach so and so would never put up with this nonsense. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
Maybe Bowles can find a happy medium between the overbearing “Do your job!” culture of Belichik and the laid back “No risk it no biscuit” culture of Arains.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
I think this premise makes the most sense. Ownership brought it to Bruce’s attention that Brady wasn’t happy with the discipline angle and would not come back if the ship wasnt going to be run tight, Bruce considered the options. I’m guessing he thought, hell I’m set in my ways and im planning on retiring in a yr or two anyhow. Why not let Brady get his tighter ship, let Bowles have Brady and maybe if TB is happy he will re up for another season or two. Ownership is happy, fans are happy. Arians stays with the org and gets to do his best Tom Moore inpersonation on the payroll, Brady returns for at least one more season, Bowles gets a legit shot to show what he can do with a decent organization and solid talent…win win win. Happy there’s no crazy drama besides the conspiracy theories. In the end who knows and does it really matter? Go Bucs.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
I can’t imagine Brady wants someone as strict as what he had his entire career not with one or two years left to play football. If anyone thinks anything besides injury was the reason a 14-3 team led by Brady was the reason we didn’t win a Super Bowl then your lying and you know it. Yea it must be horrible for a guy that’s 45 years old to play for a player friendly coach.
Didn’t know all the other teams in the nfl were as disciplined as the patriots and used the same approach because of course the patriot was is the only one that works
April 4th, 2022 at 1:11 pm
‘Joe SUSPECTS Brady initiated the conversation with Nelson in some way to discuss how life under Ferentz and Belichick is a different and more structured animal.’
Aahh yes, there’s that magic word ‘suspects’ again. I SUSPECT that Tom Brady calls up Antony Nelson daily to whine about how easy he’s got it now and commiserate with Antony about how much he misses Bill Belicheck’s iron hand. Brady & Nelson obviously have so much in common, since one played for Belicheck, one played for Ferentz, and Ferentz coached with Belicheck 30 years ago when he first became Cleveland’s HC.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Its about the commitment to win. We all know TB12 is wired differently. In his mind, there is a tangible aspect he needs to see to feel that people have bought in. He realizes he doesnt have much time left, and wants to make sure he gets every last drop of competition out of it. I appreciate the fact that he still feels this team can be better. You gotta ride it out his way, because there is never likely to be a similiar time in history.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:32 pm
I thought Brady left NE because he got tired of “the discipline and regimented stuff”.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:34 pm
Is he the best? What would have Jon Gruden done with Brady and that roster?
April 4th, 2022 at 1:34 pm
What if Dungy had Brady and an offensive coordinator l?
April 4th, 2022 at 1:40 pm
things can be more ‘disciplined and regimented’ than they are under Arians without going Belichick mental about it..
i think the sweetspot (and maybe how TB views it) is to be detail oriented, disciplined, have accountabilities, etc…..but within the broader tone, attitude, and relationships of being a ‘player’s coach’…you don’t have to be lax and always buddy-buddy to still be a player’s coach…
what TB felt in NE was a ‘my way’ mentality from Bill…it’s why TB (and his confidants) talked about not having an evolving relationship, or questioning wtf happened with Malcom Butler, or shipping people off left and right…
discipline – yes
relationship with players – yes
you can have both
April 4th, 2022 at 1:45 pm
Everyone has their own opinions about what happened, if anything, between Arians and Brady.
I remember in the Rams game where Brady was hit late, complained to the referee’s, and got a penalty.
When Brady came to the sidelines for some love and understanding from Arians, he got yelled at instead!
Brady only has so much time left, and might have felt that he could not win with Arians, or play for him anymore.
Someday, the real truth will come out.
Until then, Go Bucs!
April 4th, 2022 at 1:49 pm
Stop the speculation and just deal with the facts. It’s over and done. The same people are in the building. The responsibilities have changed, but the objective has not. Soap operas are for women on weekday afternoons. Everybody is focused on building a team that can win another Lombardi trophy. Let’s move on too.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Everyone knows the Bucs don’t win SB VL if Arians is coach! Oh, wait.
April 4th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Dang it. LV.
April 4th, 2022 at 3:24 pm
Okay, we’re gonna keep talking about this… How many more days/weeks/months?
Brady didn’t drive Arians out. Do I believe there’s a difference in the discipline between Belichick and Arians? Sure.
April 4th, 2022 at 6:17 pm
I’m sick of the conversation, too. I’ve seen BA cussing people out. I’ve seen him yelling. I’ve seen him talk about discipline and accountability. I’ve even seen him hit a player who was gonna get a penalty if not stopped. I think he was very involved in discipline and, as a coach, did a LOT more than just ride a golf cart during practices. Some people seem blind.
April 4th, 2022 at 6:18 pm
and Sir Yacht got suspended from twitter..
April 4th, 2022 at 6:46 pm
Sadly there is no way to sort through all of this. When Brady hangs them up he’s not going to coach!
Let’s see what Tom could do with Jameis Winston at QB. Then we’d know how much his “expertise” and methods matter and how much simply being the GOAT at what he does is the reason for his success.
April 4th, 2022 at 9:48 pm
“Now is not the time to go to the movies, now is the time for football !” He said that for a reason. Brady knew they weren’t ready. Jesus Bowles had back to interviews the Friday and Saturday of game week and BL had.one the same Friday and apparently BA was at the movies. Many crap on Belichick and he’s not my cup of tea either but the man knew how to prepare for the battle. Ok he missed the playoffs in 2020, so what Bucs missed them in 2019 but he did make the playoffs the 2nd year after losing his 6 time SB QB with a ROOKIE QB and that’s not commonplace. Brady didn’t learn this trait in Michigan, he learned it in New England.
April 5th, 2022 at 3:40 am
More beating of this dead horse. The biggest lack of discipline last season that may have cost the team most was AB. The Coach knew him well from Pittsburgh and clearly did not want an undisciplined distraction like him on the Bucs but Brady insisted he could “control” a grown man who no one else prior had controlled. Seems to me Brady brought in and endorsed the biggest discipline issue of all. Plus if he disliked how undisciplined the Bucs were after winning a Super Bowl followed by the second best record in the league, why did he come back here instead of forcing his way to the more disciplined Patriots who didn’t even make the playoffs, or the more disciplined Dolphins whose owner tried to pay a Coach to lose?
April 5th, 2022 at 10:17 pm
Visyl’s comment above is right.
April 10th, 2022 at 3:43 pm
I don’t know why Chris puts “apple roof cleaning tampa” in her name?
Free advertising?
Not sure but you can stop huffing on Brady’s jockstrap.
It’s embarrassing!!
You like to belittle the 2 time NFL Coach of the year, BA and anybody else that you can in am effort to huff more fumes from TB’s jstrap.
Grrrrlll, you need help!!!
April 10th, 2022 at 3:44 pm
Great points Anonymous!