Landing Spot:
Tom Brady is finally leaving New England and taking his talents to Tampa. He officially announced that he would be leaving the Patriots on Tuesday morning. Then hours later he made his decision to join the Buccaneers. He will inherit two 1000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The pass happy offense is just another bonus to joining Tampa. Will Brady be able to lead the TB to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
How the new team will be affected
Tampa Bay had a 7-9 record last year and they struggled on offense turning the ball over 41 times. Winston threw 30 interceptions last year which was a career high for him. We all know that Jamies had eye surgery and also did great during parts of the season. He threw for the most touchdowns in the league and did so while he didn’t have full vision. While this is no excuse for a NFL quarterback, Jamies turned out to have an acceptable year with his issues. Although, there isn’t anywhere else to place the blame. The receivers are also playing at an all-star level and helped the Bucs offense a lot last year. With no one else to put the blame on, the Bucs labeled one thing, turnovers. The majority of those were on Winston and he became the reason why they would sign TB12.
The Bucs averaged the most pass yards in the NFL last year and the third most yards and points. With Brady replacing Winston, Tampa Bay will have an offense that can move the ball and that can limit their turnovers. Tom has been known for being one of the premier quarterbacks during his tenure in the NFL. If he is able to mesh up with Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin there is no reason that this team won’t be one of the best teams next year. Last year the receivers paired up to combine for 2,490 yards. That is the most yards for any receiver duo in the NFL last year. It will be interesting to see how much this team will run the ball next year with dual threats on the outside.
How old team be affected
The Patriots have just lost their franchise quarterback and now have to figure out a way to reload for the next season. Bill Belichek will certainly have his hands full deciding which way he wants to go in his QB decisions. The free agent options are pretty limited and there aren’t that many options. My Patriots free agency picks are Cam Newton or Andy Dalton. Both players are veterans who are on the market, not only that but these guys are capable QBs. The Patriots can take one of the quarterbacks and easily have them play well enough to win. Another option is the draft, although the Patriots may have a tough time with that. The quarterback class for the upcoming draft is stacked, but many of the QBs will be going in the beginning of the first round. They could possibly take a flyer on some of the QBs that are projected to go later in the draft like Jalen Hurts or Jake Fromm. The last option is to stick with what they have which is QB named Jarrett Stidham. You might be thinking, who? This was the Auburn QB 2 years ago in 2018 and he was pretty good while he was there. The young QB was drafted last year and there is no reason for Belichick to replace him unless he wants a veteran. According to team captain Devin McCourty, he has complete confidence in Stidham. This could very well indicate they are going to stick with what they have in Foxborough.
Is the player worth the amount of money
Tom Brady signed a 2 year 50 million dollar deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He can earn up to 9 million dollars in additional incentives in his deal. This deal was not very good for Brady. He is worth more and could ask for it because he is leaving his team for the first time. Tom is leaving a super bowl team and getting a 7-9 team. Tom will earn the same amount as Phillip Rivers per a year and Brady is simply better QB.
Fantasy value/Stats
Brady has been a QB1 for many years in the fantasy world. Last year was no different as he finished as a low-end QB1 in leagues. He ended up throwing for 24 passing touchdowns which isn’t terrible and overall he had a good season. Turns out it was the lowest amount of points Brady put up since 2013 according to Cbssports. So if you are telling me his worst total in 7 years was QB1 level then I am all on board for Brady with TB. His fantasy value is definitely higher this year as he is not only a good QB, now he also has more than one weapon around him. Don’t get me wrong the Patriots always had weapons, it is just that they don’t compare to what Tom is inheriting in Tampa. Godwin and Evans will have around the same fantasy production as last year for me as they are getting an older quarterback. While Tom is more accurate he is also on the older side of his career. This could give more carries to Ronald Jones Jr. who is the RB for the Bucs. In conclusion, Tom is a mid-tier QB1, Evans and Godwin are mid-tier to low WR1, and Jones is a low tier RB2 or flex option.
Playoff chances
The Bucs are now going to be in the playoff race for sure as they now have a very strong offense. If the receivers can mesh with Brady and the running backs can stay healthy this team will be very good. This could lead them to the playoffs normally, but the AFC South is very competitive this year. The Panthers and Saints are both explosive teams and the Falcons have a lot of potential. Now they are adding another good team to the division (the Bucs), this would fairly make the NFC South the toughest division to play in. With all that going on in-division, do the Bucs even have a chance? I think they do, TB12 will have explosive players surrounding him and easily has a chance for the playoffs. They even have a very good chance of either winning the division or getting into the wild card spot.
Prediction
The Bucs find themselves in a mess with the division being packed full of good teams. Ultimately it will come down to the Bucs or the Saints, both will have high powered offenses and have high scoring games when they meet. I think for the first year the Saints will win the NFC South and the Bucs will be able to get a wild card spot. If the Bucs can get their defense sorted out, they may be able to pull out the division. TB12 flips the switch in the playoffs and the Bucs have many weapons, so why not them.
Top picture by NY post from nypost.com