Three concerns for Tom Brady entering 2020 season
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2020 season as one of the favorites to make it to the postseason and compete for a championship and it’s all because of one addition: QB Tom Brady.
Brady, who signed a two-year, $50 million deal with the Buccaneers, is getting into the swing of things and has been working out with his teammates privately over the course of the last couple of weeks.
Tom Brady is absolutely looking to make a statement and it’s clear that he wants to compete at the highest level. He didn’t just come to Tampa Bay to collect a paycheck.
As we continue preparing for the upcoming season, here are three concerns for Tom Brady.
3. Learning offensive system & chemistry
Bruce Arians’ system is not the easiest to learn and we’ve seen that as a trend in first-year quarterbacks during his career.
Arians likes to go vertical and he has a lot of different schemes and terminology that Brady will have to learn- and learn quickly.
In addition to having to learn the playbook, Brady has a limited amount of time to build chemistry with his teammates. Will he have enough time to really get into the system and build chemistry with his receivers, in particular?
It’s certainly a concern heading into the season.
2. The offensive line’s production
The offensive line was a big concern last season and that unit is even more important this time around.
While the Buccaneers did address the offensive tackle position by drafting Tristan Wirfs in the first-round, the unit as a whole has a long way to go- especially in developing depth.
The question here is two-fold: Can the offensive line excel in pass-protection to give Brady time to go through his progression and can they open up running games to make the rushing attack an intricate part of the offense?
Tom Brady wants to have a rushing attack he can rely upon and the only way that happens is if the offensive line finds a way to open up holes for Ronald Jones II and Co. this coming season.
1. Keeping him healthy
Obviously, the chief concern coming into this season- and it really stems off the offensive line in many ways- is keeping Tom Brady healthy.
Brady has taken some shots over the course of his career and he’ll be 43 years old when the season starts. Age isn’t something to play around with.
The Buccaneers have to find a way to keep Brady upright and healthy.
It’s not just about injuries. It’s about keeping him healthy enough that he can still pass the ball effectively. It’s not just about him being able to be on the field, but for him to remain refreshed over the entirety of a season.
That’s the chief concern.
Brady has proven his toughness over the course of his career, but the biggest concern for the Buccaneers is making sure that he remains healthy for a full season. That’s the only path to a playoff berth.