Free agency begins next week, but that doesn’t mean the rumor mill is slowing down. One of the hottest free agents out there will be quarterback Tom Brady. The six-time Super Bowl champion may very well end up leaving the only team he’s ever played for, and one place he could wind up is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Not only do the Buccaneers have the offensive assets to lure Brady to the Sunshine State — a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and a tight end in O.J. Howard ready to have a breakout year — but playing for a guy like Bruce Arians may be a breath of fresh air personality-wise for Brady, especially when you consider the demeanor of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
And, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Bucs are “going all in on Tom Brady.”
The Glazer family has 45,000 or so empty seats to sell, and knows who can fill them: Tom Brady.#GoBucs @NFLStroud #Patriots #tombradyhttps://t.co/THYgAq3esJ
— Sports by Tampa Bay Times (@TBTimes_Sports) March 11, 2020
Per Stroud:
“It’s true. The franchise that has not reached the postseason in 12 years will do almost anything to land the quarterback who has been to the playoffs for 11 straight seasons and won six Super Bowls.”
Stroud also points out the fact that the Bucs have roughly $80 million in cap space, the fourth-most of any team, so they have what it takes to outbid virtually every other team.
As I wrote about last week, the NFL should want Brady in Tampa Bay since it would provide us with Brady vs. Drew Brees and Brady vs. Matt Ryan twice next season in the NFC South. It’s a ratings bonanza the league should be hoping comes to fruition.
Stroud says the Bucs could also pursue Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater, making it increasingly clear that neither Arians and the Bucs no longer think of Winston as the long-term solution. And, while Brady will be 43 next season and may only have one or two years left in him, having a six-time Super Bowl champion under center may get the Bucs back to the postseason sooner rather than later.
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