Category: Latest Team News

Bruce Arians’ offense might make ‘self-preservation’ a challenge for Tom Brady

Find out why Mike Reiss of ESPN thinks Tom Brady may be in for a surprise playing in Bruce Arians’ offense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans may be dealing with social-distancing and a global pandemic like the rest of us, but they can at least celebrate the fact that when football returns this fall (hopefully) they’ll have the greatest quarterback of all time taking the field in a Bucs jersey.

Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady ended his historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots last week before officially signing his Bucs contract on Friday. Brady will now take over an offense that ranked third in the league in scoring last season, averaging 28.6 points per game.

While the prospect of Brady throwing deep passes to Mike Evans and Chis Godwin has fantasy football owners and Madden gamers salivating, it might not be all sunshine and rainbows for Brady, who will be 43 by the time the 2020 season rolls around.

Mike Reiss of ESPN wrote a piece over the weekend examining the state of the Patriots post-Brady. Reiss talked about how Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is looking to do more of a reboot than rebuild in New England. As Reiss put it, the Patriots will pay off some bills this season (nearly $23 million in dead cap space) before having close to $100 million in cap space in 2021. So, in his mind, the team will be fine.

But, when Reiss examines Brady’s move to Tampa, he has a word of caution all fans should listen to. Reiss thinks Brady will do great things in Tampa Bay, but he notes that quarterbacks in Bruce Arians’ offense often taking a pounding. He worries Brady may in line for such an experience.

Per Reiss:

“Arians’ offenses in Pittsburgh (2007-2011), Indianapolis (2012), Arizona (2013-2017) and Tampa Bay (2019) surrendered 508 quarterback sacks. In that same time period (with Brady’s lost season in 2008 and Arians’ 2018 season on the sideline canceling each other out), Brady was sacked 318 times in New England (also factor in Brady missing four games in 2016 because of suspension). Surely, there will be some adaptation to ensure Brady isn’t pounded into submission, but the point is worthy of note.”

The Bucs’ offensive line allowed Jameis Winston to be sacked 47 times last season, while Brady was only sacked 27 times in New England. Reiss notes that Arians’ plays calling for down-field shots means the quarterback often holds the ball longer than usual, hence the inflated sack numbers.

Still, when you are paying Brady the big bucks, you’re going to want to make sure he stays upright as much as possible.

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Buccaneers restructure Cameron Brate’s contract

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate was due to make $6 million in 2020, with $4 million of that due today, unless the Buccaneers chose to trade or cut him from their roster. The Buccaneers opted to restructure Brate’s contract – as reported …

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate was due to make $6 million in 2020, with $4 million of that due today, unless the Buccaneers chose to trade or cut him from their roster. The Buccaneers opted to restructure Brate’s contract — as reported by Greg Auman — to keep in him Tampa for at least the next season, knowing that Tom Brady likes having tight end targets.

Brate was drafted in 2014 and burst onto the scene for the Buccaneers in 2016 with his 57 catches and eight touchdowns. When the Buccaneers drafted O.J. Howard in 2017, his superior athleticism pegged him as the future in the tight end role. This resulted in a drop of Brate’s production; however, with 16 touchdowns during that span he’s still a red zone threat. Brate has also proven to be more reliable than Howard in terms of staying healthy, playing in all 16 games every season since 2017- Howard has played in 38 of 48 games in his career.

As of now, the details of the restructuring are unknown- we will update when more information is available.

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Kraft family thanks QB Tom Brady in full-age ad in Tampa Bay Times

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his family took out a full-page ad to thank QB Tom Brady for his time as a Patriot.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans are celebrating the signing of quarterback Tom Brady. But one team’s gain is another team’s loss, and Brady’s addition to the Bucs means Patriots fans are left searching for a new quarterback to call their own.

Brady’s legacy will forever be tied to New England. From sixth-round pick to six-time Super Bowl champion, he lived a Cinderella story that sounds almost too cliche to be real. Game-winning drives, clutch throws, Lombardi Trophies — Brady did it all.

Today, in Sunday’s Tampa Bay Times, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his family took out a full-page ad, thanking the G.O.A.T. for all the memories.

Here is an excerpt:

“For 20 amazing years, you gave us everything you had… When you arrived as a sixth-round pick — and the best selection this franchise has ever made — no one imagined all you’d accomplish or how much you’d soon mean to an entire region.”

Kraft also asks Bucs fans to “take care of him. You got a great one.”

I think Tampa Bay fans are up to the task.

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Here’s a Madden first look at what Tom Brady looks like as a Buccaneer

Take a look at Tom Brady as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer through the Madden ’20 lens.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (still does not sound real) took to social media Friday after making his signing official. The six-time Super Bowl champion left the New England Patriots last week after 20 years, and will now join a Bucs team that already ranked as one of the NFL’s best offenses.

While Brady struggled with the Patriots last year to put up points on offense, he’ll have a bevy of assets at his disposal in Tampa Bay, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard. Watching Brady throwing to Bucs receivers next season will feel like something out of a Madden video game.

And, to give you an idea of what that might look like, head on over to NFL.com to see this Madden ’20 first look.

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Jameis Winston says more of a ‘see you later’ than ‘goodbye’ to Tampa

For the last five seasons, Jameis Winston has been the man-under-center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his time as quarterback, Winston showed signs of brilliance, however, his five-year run was plagued by turnovers. In what became his last …

For the last five seasons, Jameis Winston has been the man-under-center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his time as quarterback, Winston showed signs of brilliance, however, his five-year run was plagued by turnovers. In what became his last season, Winston led the NFL in passing yards with 5,109 and finished second with 33 TD’s. The blemish? The 30 INTs that put Winston in a class of his own as the only player to surpass 30 touchdowns 30 and interceptions in the same season.

It was speculated that Winston was seeking $30 million per year on a new contract, which left a truly divided fan base unsure if the Buccaneers would bring him back. When the news broke that Tom Brady agreed to an offer from the Buccaneers, it started becoming clear that the team would move on from Winston. When it was officially announced that Brady had signed his contract — after an odd-at-best couple of days trying to schedule a physical with the new rules surrounding the coronavirus — it put the final nail in the coffin for Winston as the quarterback in Tampa.

This morning, Winston took to Twitter to thank the Buccaneers and the city of Tampa. However, instead of a ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’ the quarterback offered more of a see you later. “It’s been a great 5 seasons as a Buccaneer. All love and respect, I love Tampa and I look forward to seeing y’all again in February,” Winston’s tweet read.

As of now, Winston has not signed a deal with any teams, and it’s unknown where he will find himself in 2020.

In his five years playing for the Buccaneers, Winston threw for 19,737 yards, 121 TDs and 88 INTs. Whether you are a fan of Winston or not, there is no denying that he can move the ball down the field, as the Buccaneers averaged 28.6 points per game in 2019 with Winston as their front-man.

History shows that Tom Brady plus the Bucs’ playoff drought could be a recipe for a Super Bowl win

See why history shows that the addition of Tom Brady to the Buccaneers could be a recipe for a Super Bowl win.

Tom Brady is officially a Tampa Bay Buccaneer after (finally) signing his contract today. Now that the six-time Super Bowl champion is set to join the Bucs, fans can finally start looking towards the 2020 regular season, and potentially, the postseason.

That may seem like a hard concept to grasp for some, especially when you consider they Bucs haven’t been to the postseason since 2007 and haven’t won a playoff game since their Super Bowl XXXVII victory following the 2002 season. A 7-9 finish to the 2019 season ensured the Bucs extended their playoff drought to 12-straight seasons. But, as the NFL’s research department pointed out, that drought plus the addition of Brady could be a recipe for a Super Bowl win.

Take a look.

If Brady can guide the Bucs back to the postseason in 2020, that alone would be a huge step forward for the franchise and validate the Brady signing. Plus, Super Bowl LV is in Tampa Bay next year. I’m sure Brady would love nothing more than to be the first quarterback ever to play a Super Bowl in his home stadium.

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Julian Edelman to Tampa Bay would make sense

With Tom Brady now officially a Buccaneers, should Tampa Bay try and make a move for Pats WR Julian Edelman?

In the latest round of what-if scenarios, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman’s name has come up, and it’s not completely out-of-the-blue. For the last six seasons, Edelman has been Tom Brady’s favorite target, with 530 catches, 5,793 yards and 32 TDs during that span.

Tuesday, Deion Sanders tweeted asking for the Patriots to trade Edelman to the Buccaneers, comparing the duo to peanut butter and jelly. To add fuel to the fire, Edelman liked the tweet, which has since been removed. Naturally, a screenshot was taken before Edelman removed his stamp of approval, because that’s how the internet works these days.

Reports surfaced that Brady wants to play with Antonio Brown, and while that may be true, it seems unlikely that comes to fruition, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. With so many names tied to the Buccaneers as of late, why not add Edelman to the mix?

Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have superstar wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans already on the roster, and don’t have a need to bring in Edelman. However, if you’ve followed Brady at all during his career, he likes familiarity with his targets, and his go-to receiver had 100 receptions last season.

If general manager Jason Licht wants to keep his new quarterback happy, he might want to — at the very least — see if the Patriots are open to a trade and what it would take.

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Tom Brady set the league on fire the last time he had two superstar WRs

In 2007, the New England Patriots fell a David Tyree miracle catch short of an undefeated season. Along the way, the Patriots scored the most points in a single season in NFL history with 589 points. That team was led by quarterback Tom Brady and …

In 2007, the New England Patriots fell a David Tyree miracle catch short of an undefeated season. Along the way, the Patriots scored the most points in a single season in NFL history with 589 points. That team was led by quarterback Tom Brady and superstar wide receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

During that season, Moss caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 touchdowns, while Welker totaled 1,175 yards, and eight touchdowns on 112 receptions. Sure, that was 13 years ago, but Brady hasn’t had playmakers even close to that of Moss and Welker, that is, until he became a Buccaneer.

Buccaneers receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards even with their respective seasons ending early with hamstring injuries. Godwin played in 14 games in 2019, and finished his outing with 86 catches to go along with 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns, career highs across the board. Evans saw action in 13 games and stamped his stat line with 67 receptions, 1157 yards and eight touchdowns.

As noted by Pro Football Focus, Godwin and Evans are one of five receiving duo’s to be graded 85.0+ since 2006, as were Moss and Welker. Brady might be slower than he was in his 2007 season where he lit the NFL on fire with 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns to only eight interceptions, but his arm strength and IQ are still fully intact.

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Here’s a look at the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl odds with Tom Brady

Now that quarterback Tom Brady is expected to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, take a look at the team’s Super Bowl odds heading into 2020.

In case you missed it, Tom Brady will be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at the very least for the 2020 NFL season.

According to Caesars Sportsbook, the Buccaneers are now sitting with 22/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, pitting them as the eighth-favorite team to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy — at their own stadium no less. The top 10 teams are as follows:

  • Kansas City Chiefs- 4/1
  • San Francisco 49ers- 7/1
  • Baltimore Ravens- 8/1
  • Dallas Cowboys- 11/1
  • Seattle Seahawks/New Orleans Saints- 14/1
  • Green Bay Packers- 16/1
  • New England Patriots 20/1
  • Buccaneers/Philadelphia Eagles- 22/1

Of course, this is where the Buccaneers currently stand, and it could be set to shift more in favor of the Buccaneers if they make any other big splashes in free agency and grade well in the upcoming draft.

With Super Bowl LV being played at Raymond James Stadium, Brady signing with the Buccaneers makes them legitimate contenders in the league. The talk of this team being the first to play a Super Bowl on their home field has certainly increased ten-fold.

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Report: Tom Brady wants to play with Antonio Brown

Could Tom Brady be throwing touchdown passes to Antonio Brown next year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Pro Football Talk reported that teams who spoke with Tom Brady believe that he wants to play with Antonio Brown. The rumor mills are always at a full churn during the off-season, and with all eyes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time since 2002, expect nothing less.

Brady has been open about his support for Brown, most recently responding to a tweet by the wide receiver, who seemingly was apologetic for his recent off-field antics. When Brady took to his Instagram to thank the New England Patriots organization, Brown returned the support by simply posting a goat emoji.

Wording around the deal that was pitched to Brady was he would be receiving a “God offer” allowing him input for personnel. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brady hasn’t signed the contract due to difficult language, namely in getting a physical during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the details of the deal unknown. Schefter also said this morning that Brady has brought the LeBron James effect to the Buccaneers as a high numbers of players have called about playing for the team this season.

The Buccaneers have some areas to address before the regular season starts, and wide receiver is certainly not one of them. However, if the Buccaneers can bring in a superstar like Antonio Brown –without the drama– it’s worth taking a look. Coach Bruce Arians was on Schefter’s podcast in January 2019 and spoke about Brown, whom he coached for two seasons as the offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “There’s too much miscommunication, too much…diva,” Arians said.

Failing to reach a contract agreement with the Steelers, Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders on March 10, 2019. Ultimately, Brown signed a 3-year $50 million deal with the Raiders before it all fell apart on September 7, 2019 and he was released. Subsequently, he was picked up by the Patriots on a 1-year $15 million deal, before being released when sexual assault allegations surfaced. This has left Brown with possibly the lowest market value of his career, meaning a lower offer from the Buccaneers could be a viable option.

Whether there is any merit of truth to the reports, a hypothetical wide receiving corps of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Brown catching passes from arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time will be nothing short of a pick your poison for opposing defenses.

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