The greatest quarterback in history goes to Tampa?
At first glance, the Union seems strange, but if you understand and take into account all the details, you can understand that this transaction is a rare example of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Tom Brady went to Tampa.
Less than 12 hours after Brady announced that he was leaving the Patriots, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and his colleague Jeff Darlington almost simultaneously announced on Twitter that his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was almost a done deal. As strange as it was to see Brady in that awful uniform with the odd number design, it’s worth admitting that his decision isn’t all that surprising.
From Brady’s point of view, Tampa has something to offer, both financially and on the football field. The contract is for $30 million a year, and the most successful quarterback in history will finally get the same salary as kirk cousins. But money, apparently, is not the main goal of Brady, for his career he earned about $235 million, and his wife-almost twice as much. The amount in the contract was a matter of respect for Thomas, not a matter of financial appetites. And by offering him a salary at the level of the best quarterbacks in the market, the Bucks showed that they were serious.
After the financial issues were settled, it remained to interest Brady in the football component of the deal, and this was, frankly, not difficult. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are probably the best receiver Duo in the NFL. Brady had great chemistry with Julian Edelman, but both Tampa receivers are more talented than any patriot Since Randy moss. Evans is an athletic receiver that Brady hasn’t had in years, and Godwin proved last season that he is one of the most promising players in professional football, regardless of playing position. Tight end OJ Howard got lost last year, but the history of Brady’s career teaches us that he’s the kind of guy Thomas can do it with. Evans, Godwin, Howard (if he comes to his senses) and second-half Cameron Braith will make up the best corps of Brady receivers in recent years. The question, oddly enough, is whether Brady is the quarterback they are looking for.
The offensive system of Bruce Arians and his coordinator Byron Leftwich is honed for a long pass game, last season Jameis Winston was second in the NFL in yards through the air on a pass attempt with a score of 10.5. In part, these numbers are due to his aggressive (and often reckless) style of play. But a sharp vertical game is a hallmark of Erians, as he has played all his coaching career. Winston’s skills matched this style. But Brady at this point in his career doesn’t seem to be very suitable for such offens. In recent years, New England’s pass game has been built around short fast throws, screenings on runners, and play-action from which the offense has actively attacked the center of the field. Requiring the 42-year – old Brady to make long-range throws beyond the numbers and 20-yard lasers into tight cover through traffic is not a good idea. Fortunately, Arians smart enough to figure it out.
His entire career of playcaller Ariana cared about feedback from his quaterbacking. Carson Palmer, Andrew Luck, and Ben Roethlisberger always had something to talk about with their coach. With Brady, I think the discussion will not only concern the pass game, but the entire offense as a whole. Such discussions of game plans will determine how quickly the Tampa office will work at full capacity. And the staff at the Bax film room is experienced enough to tell each other a lot of useful things. In addition to a quarterback with tremendous experience and a coach with 26 years of experience in the NFL, there is Leftwich, who spent 10 years in the League as a quarterback. And quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen has 20 years of coaching experience.
Tampa’s offense won’t be as aggressive and explosive as it has been in recent years, but the signing of Brady suggests that the team isn’t aiming for that. With Winston in the envelope, the Buccaneers ‘ offense could have been super-productive, but Arians and General Manager Jason Licht seemed tired of the quarterback’s recklessness. Winston has thrown more interceptions (30) in the past season than Brady has in the past four seasons (29). Tampa’s offense will be less flamboyant, but more accurate and consistent. The contract with Brady suggests that the Bucks believe that a reliable quarterback game is exactly what the team needs to move into the category of contenders to win in the NFC.
Yes, betting on a 43-year-old quarterback is a serious risk. Even if this quarterback is the best in history. But Eriansu is 67, and he knows how to subordinate a team to a single goal. If Tampa decided to just get rid of Winston, it’s unlikely that Arians would be happy to draft a quarterback in the first half of the first day and spend significant time developing him, whereas the buccaneers ‘ roster is ready to win right now.
The Union of Brady and Tampa looks strange, but only at first glance. For both the quarterback and the team, this is the right and logical step forward.
