New team, same old Tom Brady.
That’s what David Carr is expecting to see, at least.
The 2020 NFL season will mark Brady’s first with a team other than the New England Patriots, as the 20-year veteran elected to sign with Tampa Bay in free agency. The Buccaneers feature offensive weapons galore, and Carr, a former NFL quarterback, believes Brady will reap the benefits to the tune of 30 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions while throwing for 4,500 yards at a 60 percent completion clip.
From Carr, published to NFL.com:
I like this fit for both Tom Brady and the Bucs. Brady will unquestionably eliminate a lot of the negative plays Jameis Winston produced, but it will still take some time for the 42-year-old to get completely comfortable in a new system and with new terminology. Knowing Brady’s work ethic and experience, he’ll put in the time to make this transition as seamless as possible.
In New England, Brady has been in a system that works from the inside out, with a number of dink-and-dunk throws. In Tampa, Brady has the luxury of throwing to some of the top threats on the perimeter in the league, a group that features Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and tight end O.J. Howard. With Bruce Arians’ “no risk it, no biscuit” policy and Brady’s ability to identify and exploit coverages, I expect to see the veteran drop back around 40 times per game. I can actually see this approach being successful in this situation as long as the G.O.A.T. is protected.
For reference, Brady only has thrown for 30-plus touchdowns and 4,500-plus yards once in his last four seasons, which came in his MVP-winning 2017 campaign. You’d also have to go all the way back to the 2011 season for the last time Brady threw 12 or more interceptions.
Brady will bring much more than just his on-field talent to Tampa Bay, though. The decorated signal-caller also is one of the greatest leaders the game has ever seen, and his locker room presence alone should prompt an immediate boost for the Bucs.
