One of the biggest free-agent signings in the history of the league happened this offseason. Tom Brady, the winner of six Super Bowls, left the New England Patriots to go quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Brady in place, can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a run at the Super Bowl?
According to SportsBettingDime Tom Brady will be quarterbacking with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now that he’s announced his exit from the New England Patriots. The Bucs’ Super Bowl 55 odds are now listed at +1500.
The Bucs have a long way to go to improve from a 7-9 team to a Super Bowl champion, but with Brady, and some key pieces returning, there are reasons for optimism.
The biggest reason for people to believe in the Buccaneers next season is the signing of Brady. He has six Super Bowl victories already and has done it with Patriots’ teams that had a great coach, but they also didn’t have the most talented roster every year. Brady has the smarts to get the most out of his team, no matter how talented they may be.
Jameis Winston was the leading passer in the NFL last season and also had over 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. While he may not throw for as many yards as Winston, Brady will cut down on the mistakes, which will help them win games. Brady has never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a season and hasn’t thrown more than 11 since 2011. If he can be productive and still protect the football, Brady can vastly improve the Buccaneers’ win total and help them make the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, Brady knows how to get the job done.
Mike Evans (Photo by nfl.com)
Something that Brady didn’t have in New England last season is top-tier weapons. Only Julian Edelman was an overly productive player at the receiver position last season for the Patriots. It is fair to say that he will have better weapons to work with in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have two 1,000-yard receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Evans will be the most talented receiver Brady has thrown to since Randy Moss wore the Patriots’ uniform. Along with the two talented receivers, Brady will have Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard to throw to as tight ends. Both are talented and had over 300 yards receiving last season. Both will be effective in the red zone with Brady.
Tampa Bay has been without a premier running back for some time. They had Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones who filled specific roles for the team. Barber has been a decent back at times, but he is gone in free agency. Jones returns though and provides a player who can run the ball and catch it out of the backfield. Brady can win with Jones at running back, but they might look into improving at the position through free agency or the draft.
Brady will never play with a coach that has the amount of success as Bill Belichick, that’s for sure. In Tampa, Brady will have a good head coach to work with though. Bruce Arians only went 7-9 in his first season with the Buccaneers, but he has a solid track record. He went 49-30-1 with the Cardinals in five seasons and made the NFC Championship Game in 2014.
While winning a Super Bowl has eluded Arians, he has a reputation of being an offensive genius. He was a longtime offensive assistant in the NFL, which carried over into his head coaching days. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has received praise for his work under Arians. With Brady at quarterback and Arians working with him, there is no doubt that they will have an effective offense, as long as the offensive line blocks decently.
The Buccaneers’ defense may have allowed 28.6 points and 397.9 yards per game, but they do have some key players that can support Tom Brady’s quest to win another Super Bowl. On the defensive line, they have Shaq Barrett, who is returning on the franchise tag. He had 19.5 sacks, which led the NFL last season. Jason Pierre-Paul returns on the other side of the defensive line. His sack production should help the team have constant pressure on the quarterback. On the interior, they have Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea, who provide a solid combo. There aren’t many more complete defensive lines in the league.
At the linebacker position, the Buccaneers have Lavonte David and Devin White. David is one of the best linebackers in the league and had 123 total tackles. White was one of the best rookies in the 2019 NFL Draft and is still developing. They have young promising players at the cornerback position in Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting. They likely need upgrades at safety, but the Bucs can address that in the 2020 NFL Draft.
They may not be the favorites to win the Super Bowl next season, but if Brady can elevate the offense and the defense can get some pressure opposing quarterbacks, the Bucs could find themselves competing for a championship.
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