By now, you've probably seen that Tom Brady is headed to the Buccaneers on a deal that will pay him roughly $30 million per year. And uhh ... it looks kinda weird, honestly:
Tom Brady is expected to land with the Buccaneers barring any unforeseen circumstances, per @AdamSchefter and @JeffDarlington. pic.twitter.com/N5JnWObhY7
— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2020
Brady spent 20 years with the Patriots, originally drafted in Round 6 of the 2000 NFL Draft before becoming a full-time starter in year two after Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury in Week 2 of the 2001 season. From there, Brady did OK, winning six Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVPs and three NFL MVPs. He won 77 percent of his 283 starts with the Patriots — a figure that doesn't even seem possible, but here we are.
Now, Brady will see if he can take those winning ways south to Tampa Bay, where he'll look to revitalize the Buccanneers, a team that's finished under .500 each of the past three seasons.
And per reports, Brady is already recruiting help — in the form of one Antonio Brown, AKA "AB," AKA Mr. Big Chest, AKA Mr. Funny Mustache, etc.
Just mentioned on @nflnetwork: The NFL says Antonio Brown’s status remains under review. If he’s cleared to play, would the #Bucs sign him? Other suitors were under the impression Tom Brady wanted AB to come with him. It’d give Brady a WR group of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and AB.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 18, 2020
Undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the game, Brown was traded by the Steelers — where he played the first nine seasons of his career — after the 2018 season, heading to the Raiders in exchange for a third- and a fifth-round draft pick. After a variety of issues with the Raiders, including a public and ugly spat with general manager Mike Mayock, however, Brown was released before he played a game in the black and silver.
Undeterred by Brown's transgressions, the Patriots swooped in, signing Brown and hoping to get him back on track. They did ... for one week. Brown played for the Patriots in Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season, catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown from Brady.
Then came sexual assault allegations against Brown, and the Patriots, like the Raiders, had no choice but to cut ties.
Since then, Brown has launched a rap career and teased a boxing match against YouTube celebrity Logan Paul. But he's also been staying in shape, and he's recently begun to piece his life back together, sending apologies aplenty and generally staying out of headlines.
If Brady wants him — and on the field, yeah, it's easy to see why he would — things could get interesting. Brady and Brown were friendly during their brief time together in New England, and they interacted a few times since via social media, always in a positive, respectful manner. There's no doubt they feel they could've done more together on the field.
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 6, 2020
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has experience with Brown, too. Arians was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers during Brown's first two years as a pro, and he has long been complimentary of Brown's skill set and work ethic. He reportedly also loved recent Steelers draft pick Diontae Johnson, who is similar to Brown in both stature and style.
Arians did say Brown was becoming too much of a "diva" as recently as January of 2019, but much has changed since then with both Brown and his Buccaneers.
With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans still there at receiver, Arians could have the most deadly trio of receivers in the league if he added Brown to the mix. And Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. (holy crap, that's actually his full name) would be throwing them the ball.
Worth the risk?
We shall see. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see it happen.