While the rejuvenation of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been solidly built around bringing six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady to Tampa, Brady’s plight may be centered around as strong a group of wide receivers as he ever had in New England.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin combined for 2,490 yards and 17 scoring receptions last season as they accounted for close to half of Jameis Winston’s passing yards and just over half of his touchdown catches.
Throw in 36 grabs by Breshad Perriman, who is the third receiver, and this becomes three wideouts who are potential touchdown makers from anywhere on the field.
As Godwin piled up 1,333 yards and Evans had 1,137, Brady only had one wideout last season with over 1,000 yards and that was reliable target Julian Edelman, who nabbed 100 passes for 1,117 yards.
Although Brandin Cooks and Rob Gronkowski both went over 1,000 yards receiving in 2017, Brady has not had a wide receiver accumulate as many yards as Godwin since 2012 when Wes Welker went for 1,357.
Gronkowski joins O.J. Howard and Cam Brate at tight end. The position was another luxury that Brady saw when he and several Buccaneers players practiced at Berkley Prep in Tampa during the summer.
“Football matters to Mike and to Chris,” said Brady. “I’ve loved being around those two guys who are not only great players, but great leaders. Cam and O.J., who have been here, have been really great along with the other tight ends in the group.”
Brady created a penchant for going to the backs as wide receivers early and often which created a solid position for James White in New England. He was the Patriots second leading receiver in 2018 when he was second in receptions (87) and receiving yards (751).
Ronald Jones, II, could be a player who benefits immeasurably from this part of Brady’s game since coach Bruce Arians likes throwing to the backs as well. Dare Ogunbowale is also in play here as the two receivers had 31 and 35 catches, respectively, last season.
Rookie running back Keyshawn Vaughn, who was activated from the reserve/Covid-19 list, will also be a threat, as well as will LeSean McCoy, who signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers after spending last season with the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
“Dare, RoJo (Jones) – I met ‘Shady’ (McCoy) the other day on the practice field – it’s a good, hard-working group,” noted Brady. “Really smart players, and again, it’s going to be up to all of us to come together and to see how we can make it all work.”
Installation of the offense has come quickly and it has helped the group get a leg up on team chemistry and understanding the Bucs playbook and terminology.
“It’s been different having the opportunity over this time to move and to, for example, study my playbook,” commented Brady. “I mean I really haven’t had to do that in 19 years, so you forget. Man, that’s really tough – like all of the different terminologies. You’re going back a very long time in my career to really have to put the mental energy in like I did.”
With no preseason games due to Covid-19, everything the Bucs are doing is looking at the opening week matchup in New Orleans vs. the Saints. Brady is getting ready to ramp up what is going to be the most watched story in the NFL this season.
At 43, he is up for the task and looks forward to a positive new normal in being a Buccaneer.
“We’re going to have to work as hard as we can and not waste any minutes of any day trying to get used to one another,” he said. “Embrace the challenge and see it as an opportunity to see what we can become.”