The Case for Tom Brady to the Bucs

Sure, it seems far-fetched.

How about this for a dream scenerio for the Bucs, who have been mostly a nightmare - except for the 2002 Super Bowl season - since they joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1976 and proceeded to lose their first 26 games.

They sign free agent Tom Brady.

They are hosting Super Bowl LV in Tampa on Feb. 7, 2021.

Brady leads the Bucs to the Super Bowl and they become the first team to ever play the game on their home field.

Far-fetched.?Well, so it seemed was Brady announcing on Twitter and Instagram on Tuesday morning that he is leaving the Patriots after 20 seasons, nine Super Bowl appearances and six championships. By the way, he is not retiring.

FOREVER A PATRIOT pic.twitter.com/QSBOJBs4uy
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020

Brady is sure to have no shortage of suitors now that he's available, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sure among them. In fact, they've already made a strong pitch, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

The #Bucs made a strong offer to QB Tom Brady believed to be $30M or more. The #Chargers did, as well. And now, he’s leaving New England.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020

But would Brady joining the Bucs actually make sense for both parties?

Absolutely, and here's why:

From the team side of things, it's a no-brainer. Save all your concerns about Brady's age - he will be 43 in August - regressing arm strength, or a lack of mobility that flies in the face of the NFL's current trend of dual-threat, playmaking quarterbacks. The Bucs have had a more "entertaining" passer in Jameis Winston for five seasons, and they made just as many playoff appearances as the Cleveland Browns over that stretch (that's zero for those of you keeping score at home).

No, the Bucs don't need a razzle-dazzle quarterback who keeps you guessing on every snap. They need a steady hand with a proven track record of success, who knows what it takes to build a winning culture and a championship atmosphere, both on the field and in the locker room.

In those categories, nobody can touch what Brady would bring to the table.

Similarly, Brady would immediately give national relevance to a franchise that hasn't had any since winning the Super Bowl nearly two decades ago. The ghosts of Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, along with one of the best defenses in NFL history, are transparent shadows of what once was in Tampa Bay.

Simply put, the Bucs need to give their fans a reason to come back to Raymond James Stadium. Signing the GOAT would make that happen instantly. Ticket sales, jersey sales, it all goes up the moment Brady puts on the Red & Pewter.

Obviously, that's an easy sell for the Bucs. But what about Brady himself? Why would he want to come to one of the NFL's most historically bad franchises?

Because he's up for a new challenge after two decades in New England? Because he'll inherit two Pro Bowl receivers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin), both of whom are in their prime? Because Tampa Bay has the makings of one of the league's best young defenses under coordinator Todd Bowles? Because of coach Bruce Arians, who has worked with Brady's buddy Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, and was also instrumental in the development of Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.

Yes. All of the above.

Throw in the lack of a state income tax, and there are millions of reasons why Brady would choose the Bucs over any other suitor. The weather is not bad either.

Sure, Brady could prefer to head west and join the Los Angeles Chargers, should he want to be closer to his new production company.

When the Bucs unveil their new-but-maybe-old uniform next month, having Brady to help unveil them would mark a seismic moment in the history of a franchise desperate for positive attention.

For both sides, this just makes sense.

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