When Tom Brady brought his talents to Tampa Bay, rumors about what requests Brady would have ran rampant. Will he want personnel input? Does he want to take the No. 12 from wide receiver Chris Godwin? Is Tom Brady going to want to take control of …
When Tom Brady brought his talents to Tampa Bay, rumors about what requests Brady would have ran rampant. Will he want personnel input? Does he want to take the No. 12 from wide receiver Chris Godwin? Is Tom Brady going to want to take control of the offense from coordinator Byron Leftwhich?
The answer to those questions, are a resounding ‘no,’ as Rick Stroud reported. Brady had one request of Buccaneers organization- he wanted the phone numbers of all of his new teammates.
We are in a time where social distancing is the way-of-life, making it a more difficult task to become acquainted with new teammates. The level of leadership that Brady is bringing to Buccaneers is unrivaled, and it’s requests like this that speak volumes of Brady’s character.
At Bucs Wire we are open to exchanging numbers with Brady as well. All you have to do is ask Tom.
Now that quarterback Tom Brady is heading to the Buccaneers, will wide receiver Chris Godwin hand over the infamous No. 12 jersey?
Now that Tom Brady has officially signed his contract to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: that No. 12 jersey.
As I wrote the other week before Brady announced his decision to leave the New England Patriots, the Bucs’ potential signing of the Golden Boy could make things awkward for Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin, who dons the No. 12 jersey for Tampa Bay. Brady wore 12 his entire 20-year career with the Pats and made it part of his infamous TB12 brand.
So, now that Brady is officially Tampa bound, what will Godwin do? The receiver answered that question in a video interview with the Bucs’ website.
Per Godwin:
“Obviously if he doesn’t want it, or if he’s not making a big deal out of it, I’m definitely going to keep it. We’ll see how that goes. I think just out of respect for what he’s done, what he’s accomplished, just kind of the career he’s built for himself, you have to lean into that respect.”
Godwin has worn the No. 12 since his high school days. Brady, who wore No. 10 at Michigan, wanted that number when he joined the Pats, but it was already taken. Turns out it was the Patriots’ then-equipment manager who assigned Brady No. 12.
Even if Brady wanted No. 10, that number is already taken by wide receiver Scotty Miller. It should be interesting to see which number Brady eventually lands on. But, one thing is for sure, you can bet his Bucs jersey will be one of the top sellers in the league next year.
Chris Godwin says No. 12 belongs to Tom Brady if the QB wants it.
Tom Brady has developed an entire brand around his name and number, but he left the New England Patriots this week and signed with a team that already has a high-profile No. 12 on its roster – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seeing Brady in any uniform other than a Patriots jersey is already going to be extremely weird, but Brady with a different number would be almost unimaginable. Fortunately for the six-time Super Bowl champion, TB12 looks like it will continue to exist in Tampa.
2019 Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin has worn No. 12 throughout his three-year NFL career and his college years at Penn State, but he said Friday that he’ll defer the number to Brady if he wants it. If Brady’s willing to switch, however, Godwin’s definitely keeping the number.
“To me I mean, obviously it’s a very important number. But I mean, at the end of the day, it’s like, if Tom wants it, you know, I kinda gotta defer to that, you know? He’s the GOAT… he’s so accomplished. He’s got the big brand and, you know, just me as a guy that’s still trying to establish himself, I feel like just out of respect, you know, I gotta defer that to him. But if he don’t want it, then by all means I’mma keep it.”
Godwin does take the No. 12 very seriously, so this isn’t necessarily easy for him. He goes by CGtwelve_ on Twitter, and his wife is @_misstwelve on Instagram. She wrote on Instagram that Brady and Godwin are still “figuring things out.”
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.
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.
As we look ahead to the next NFL season, who are some players set to thrive in new circumstances, whether due to scheme or new teammates?
As we start to look ahead to the 2020 season, we can imagine some players who are going to benefit from new situations in the campaign ahead. Whether due to a new scheme, different coaching, or even some new teammates, here are some players poised to thrive in the year to come thanks to their new situations.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers
(Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)
Pairing Teddy Bridgewater with new Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady is, on paper, a match made in heaven. The two have history together, dating back to when Brady was on the offensive staff in New Orleans under head coach Sean Payton. When Brady moved northwest to become the passing game coordinator for LSU, he brought with him an offensive scheme heavily influenced by Payton’s West Coast offense. Last year, the LSU Tigers (and assumed first-overall selection Joe Burrow) ran an offense heavy with West Coast designs right out of Payton’s playbook, while mixing in run/pass option elements and vertical shot plays downfield.
That offense is ideal for Bridgewater, and look no further than what he was asked to do last year when replacing an injured Drew Brees. During that five game stretch, Bridgewater made quick decisions, got the running backs involved in the passing game, and showed the quick decision-making that is critical to running both Payton’s offense, and Brady’s.
Take, for example, how quickly Bridgewater reads this “Pout” (post/out) concept against the Jacksonville Jaguars:
If Bridgewater hesitates at all, he is throwing his tight end Josh Hill into danger. But because Bridgewater hits his drop depth and gets the ball out, the corner cannot rotate over in time.
You can also look at this in-breaking route to Michael Thomas against the Chicago Bears:
(As an aside, some of you might have seen the NFL making their “GamePass” product available to all during these times of quarantine and isolation. Welcome, my dear friends, to the dreaded “Soldier Field All-22 Angle.”)
The QB gets the benefit of added information before the play, as pre-snap motion lets him know the Bears are in man coverage. He comes out of a play-action fake (with his back to the defense) firing on this route to Thomas working towards the middle of the field. Again, any hesitation from the quarterback here and the passing window is closed.
The view from the end zone illustrates just how quick the process is from Bridgewater:
The passer carries out the play fake and comes up throwing, without a hitch in his drop. Timing and decisiveness leading to a big gain for the offense, and it comes with Bridgewater forced to take his eyes off the defense for a second to carry out the play-fake.
Bridgewater’s fit in Brady’s offense is ideal, and it makes him a candidate for a very strong 2020.
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.
Pinch yourselves all you want, Bucs fans, it seems the dream is about to become reality.
After witnessing one of the most bizarrely spectacular seasons ever by a QB last year with Jameis Winston — who threw for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions — the Buccaneers are about to land the best quarterback to ever play the game.
Tampa Bay offers Brady a high-powered offense, an experienced head coach and a team desperate to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2007. And, if you want to know how Brady stacks up against former Bucs QBs, this stat from Schefter will put it into perspective.
Tom Brady has 5 times as many playoff wins, 6 times as many Super Bowl wins and 7 times as many 30-TD seasons as all the Buccaneers’ QBs in the team’s history.
Brady to the Bucs will also provide the NFL with its dream scenario: two divisional games next year between Brady and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (I got chills just writing that). Oh, let’s not forget, too, the two divisional games between the Bucs and Atlanta Falcons, which will feature Brady going up against Matt Ryan in a Super Bowl LI rematch.
Best of all? Brady won’t have to wear those ridiculous alarm clock jerseys, as the Bucs will unveil their redesigned uniforms next month. The question now is, how much will Brady pay Chris Godwin for that No. 12 jersey?
The word on the Tom Brady to Tampa Bay deal is that Brady won’t be able to throw deep as Bruce Arians wants. Here’s why that’s wrong.
In the end, it came down to fit, weapons, location, championship opportunity, and the need for the greatest quarterback in NFL history to try something new. The Tuesday afternoon news that Tom Brady has agreed in principle to a deal with the Buccaneers that will pay him approximately $30 million per year really isn’t about the money. Brady has earned over $230 million in his career. He’s got six Super Bowl rings. His legacy is cast in whatever particular substance you’d like to name. He has nothing left to prove, except for the notion that he can do what he’s done outside of the parameters of his relationship with Bill Belichick, the greatest coach in NFL history.
Most of all, it is about working with another head coach that will challenge him, and who is willing to be challenged, and that’s where Bucs head coach Bruce Arians comes in. In November, 2015, I wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated featuring Arians, then the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and I walked away from that work more impressed with Arians’ flexibility than his play-calling acumen. Carson Palmer was Arians’ quarterback in those days, and at his best, Palmer wasn’t dissimilar to Brady — a classicist pocket passer with a great feel for the game, the intelligence to grasp any playbook, and enough sand in his pants to call out any coach who was full of it.
Palmer loved Arians, and it came through not only in what he said, but his voice. Palmer had more respect for Arians’ play design than any other coach he’d ever worked with.
Oct 19, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) talks with head coach Bruce Arians during a timeout against the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 24-13. (Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)
“It wasn’t the game plan, it was his timing,” Palmer told me. “He was just on point with his calls. It’s the same game plan we’ve had. I was speaking more of just when he was calling certain things. When he was calling screens, we were gashing them. When he was calling [deep] shots, the shots were there. The run-game calls were spot on. It was just kind of one of those days where he was just really in a good zone. And he was in it in the first half too, we just weren’t executing on it. We had some turnovers that cost us on some drives. But he just really seemed to have a really good feel. As players have really good games and they’re kind of in the zone, that same can be said for coaches. And I think BA was definitely in a groove there.”
In 2014, Palmer tore his ACL and missed all but six games. Backup Drew Stanton was thrown into the fire and started eight games. Ryan Londley started two games. Somehow, the Cardinals went 11-5 and made the playoffs. Stanton, who had worked with Arians when Arians was the offensive coordinator and interim head coach in Indianapolis told me that throughout his career, Arians had always given him faith in his own abilities.
“Early on, and I think if you ask any player, regardless of position, confidence is the hardest thing to hold onto and the easiest thing to lose,” Stanton told me in 2014. “You start questioning and doubting yourself, especially when people try and tell you that you can’t do things. But he’s done a great job of re-instilling that in me, and that started in Indianapolis. He gave me the ability and freedom to do stuff, even though I was a backup. He listened to my input and made me feel that I had a voice, even when I wasn’t on the field. So now, when I get on the field, I feel very comfortable with what’s going on, the mechanics of things. He’ll chime in on certain throws—get my shoulder down, do this, do that. Having played the position too, I think he understands the cerebral part of that. He can relate to quarterbacks and help them to feel relaxed and confident.”
Why is this important? It’s important because of the automatic assumption that Brady, whose deep arm has fallen off over the last few seasons, will not fit in an Arians offense when Arians allegedly wants to do nothing but have his quarterback hurl the ball downfield. In truth, Arians has always operated with a Sid Gillman-esque system in which receivers run levels to all areas of the field to the quarterback’s front side, and easy escape routes to the back side. In other words, it’s more complicated than a bunch of verts downfield.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s not just everybody run a go [route],” Palmer confirmed. “There’s always player control and something underneath the route for every coverage possible. So it’s not just hey, let’s just take a big, long seven-step drop and everybody run a go. There’s always ways to check the ball down and get the ball out of your hands quick, and make a defense turn and recover to the ball.”
Perhaps most importantly when you consider Brady’s brilliance and experience is the fact that Arians has always made his quarterbacks a major part of the schematic and play-calling equation. If his quarterbacks don’t like the plan, the plan isn’t going to happen.
“I think the one thing we always have done with all our quarterbacks is they’ve really called the game,” Arians told me then regarding Palmer. “Friday, we’ll sit down and pick out his 15–20 favorite first-and-10 plays. Saturday night before the game, we’ll sit down and go through the entire third down package and let him pick the plays, the ones he’s most comfortable with. I can call what I think is the greatest play, but if he’s not comfortable with it, it’s probably not going to work. My job is to talk him into running those once he sees the picture on the sideline. He’s a veteran guy who works extremely hard, and you just, as a coach, try to put him into a position to be comfortable and successful.”
There’s also the concern that Arians’ love for the deep ball and seven-step drops required to throw those deep balls will put Brady in peril. But in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston had 2.5 seconds or less in the pocket on 48% of his dropbacks, the 11th-most in the league. Shorter time in the pocket often means shorter drops, and shorter throws. While Winston did lead the league with 99 attempts on passes of 20 or mroe air yards, he also led the league in total passing attempts with 705 dropbacks. Winston’s deep-throw rate of 15.8% ranked fourth-highest in the NFL, while Brady’s deep-throw rate of 10.1% ranked 21st.
But was 2019 an outlier for Brady in that regard? Brady had a deep ball rate of 11.1% in 2018, 14.3% in 2017, 12.2% in 2016, and so on. If you normalize those rates over time, it’s not like Brady was never throwing it downfield. Last season, with very few receivers who could gain separation under any circumstances, Brady still completed 26 of 67 deep attempts for 749 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.2. Julian Edelman led New England’s receivers with six deep receptions on 14 targets for 161 yards, and two touchdowns. Phillip Dorsett finished second with five deep catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, we get around to the targets Brady will have in Tampa, and this is as good a reason as all the others that this deal could mark a career resurgence. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Breshad Perriman combined last season for 30 deep receptions for 1,040 yards and right touchdowns. Add in tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard — and we know how well Brady has worked with two-tight end sets from his days with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez — and we’re looking at an entirely different environment. Evans is the best contested-catch receiver Brady has had since Gronkowski’s salad days, and you could argue that Perriman, the third wheel in the receiver corps, was even more effective in that role in the last month of the 2019 season.
Is Brady what he was 10 years ago? Obviously not, but it could also be said that the Patriots’ receiver corps in 2019 was as weak as anything Brady had ever dealt with in his entire career. And there is absolutely no way Arians is going to bring Brady into the building without an absolutely clear idea what his new quarterback can and can’t do.
Arians has said that his style is to coach his players hard and hug ’em harder, and that applies to his quarterbacks more than anybody else. No other position gets more scrutiny from Arians, and given Brady’s history with Bill Belichick, who for years made an object example of Brady by pointing out his mistakes in team meetings — gosh, the other players would think, if he’ll yell at Brady, I’d really better watch out — Brady should have no problem with that. If he respects the messenger, he’ll take the message, no matter what it is. Brady would absolutely vaporize a weak head coach. He would never willingly sign with a team that had one.
“Obviously, being around him for three years and just hearing his input on certain plays and certain coverages,” Palmer told me about Arians back then. “A scheme comes up and we’re working on a scheme and he might change his mind, and he’ll give you a reason why. He doesn’t just change a certain route within a scheme or put something new in, there’s always a reason behind it. So he’s always giving you insight. He’s brilliant offensively. He’s as bright an offensive mind as I’ve been around. So just having a chance to be around that type of guy just enlightens you on tons of things that you don’t know about. Being in year 13, there’s a lot I don’t know. I still am always trying to learn, and being around a guy like him just accelerates the process. I’ve just learned a ton about football. A ton about offense, and a ton about protections, and coverages, and really just everything through him.”
Now, in year 20, Brady will get that same opportunity — to both learn from, and teach, an offensive genius he’s never worked with before. Add in the graphic improvement in receiver quality, a defense that should allow balance on offense — last season, the Bucs saw their defense move from dead last in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted efficiency metrics in 2018 to fifth in 2019 — and Brady’s own well-known desire to prove every single doubter wrong, and this could be the perfect formula for Tom Brady to tear the league up as he hasn’t done in years.
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
