The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the greatest quarterback of all time lining up under center for them when the 2020 season kicks off.
The only question is, when will that be?
While the NFL released its 17-week schedule last week with the hope that the season will begin on time, given the coronavirus and the current restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, it remains to be seen when players and coaches will be allowed back in their facilities.
For a guy like Tom Brady, who spent his entire 20-year career in New England playing for one coach, learning a new system and ingratiating himself into the Bucs locker room will take time. Not being able to meet with teammates and coaches right now could slow the process of him picking up this offense.
Bucs QB coach Clyde Christensen recently spoke to The Athletic and talked about what it has been liking working with his new quarterback while dealing with the coronavirus crisis.
Per Christensen:
“Well, we can’t meet, we can’t do a lot yet, so it’s just a matter of getting him and his family settled, taking care of the logistics so that when we do tee it up, he’ll be ready to go. We’ve gotten him some information, so he can look at that. But we’ve had some great conversations on the phone… And I know he’ll learn the offense and everything else he needs to know. He’s Tom Brady. He’s been around for a while. I think about it, it’s going to be a really tough year for teams with new staff. We’ve got 21 guys who know what to do but you look at Cleveland, they’re a whole new staff, nobody knows anything. I’ll be interested to see how that works for them.”
Christensen’s concerns about teams with new staffs is warranted. Zoom meetings are fine, but they can’t replace in-person interaction, especially when it comes to getting to know someone. For the record, new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was hired by Cleveland in January, finally made the move from Minnesota to Ohio last weekend. Stefanski delayed the move with his family because of the ongoing pandemic.
While Brady isn’t the only player this offseason trying to learn a new system with a new team, he is the most notable one. And, all eyes will be on him and the Bucs in 2020, so getting Brady comfortable in this offense is the top priority.
Fortunately, it sounds like Christensen and Brady are finding a way to make things work right now.
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