Without question, the biggest free agent signing this offseason was Tom Brady going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady, a future Hall of Famer and six-time Super Bowl champion, left the New England Patriots after 20 years and nine Super Bowl appearances for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since their victory in Super Bowl XXXVII following the 2002 season. It was a decision that shocked many, especially when you consider Brady was leaving arguably the best franchise in the NFL. However, the Buccaneers aren’t without their fair share of talent. A loaded offense and strong defense has Tampa Bay looking formidable now that Brady is in charge.
But Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com doesn’t think Brady will be what he once was in New England. In Rosenthal’s latest QB value rankings, where he considers talent, production, age and contract to find out which QB you would most want to have under your team’s control moving forward, Rosenthal didn’t have Brady in his top 10. In fact, he didn’t even have Brady ranked in the top 15, instead putting him all the way at 16.
Per Rosenthal:
“Brady can still play. But asking him to break all previous boundaries for a soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback and then do it again at 44 with a second guaranteed year isn’t a formula for value. In a best-case scenario, Brady could be a borderline top-10 quarterback in the short term. The worst-case scenario is uglier than the current Bucs uniforms.”
Jokes on Rosenthal because the Bucs are unveiling new uniforms next week!
In all seriousness, though, he does make some valid points. We tend to forget that Brady is going to be 43 next season. He’s spoiled us the past few years by playing at such a high level still. Brady struggled at times last season in New England, and whether it was the effects of age or just a stagnant Patriots offense is up for debate. We’ll find out soon enough whether Brady can still be his vintage self when needed most.
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