Is Jamie Newman the future in Tampa?
Tom Brady may look like he isn’t aging, but rest assured that the Buccaneers probably only have one more elite season with Brady at the helm. Brady hasn’t shown any significant drop-off in arm strength or decision making, but playing at 45 and beyond in Tampa Bay feels like a long shot.
If the Buccaneers want to maintain their current success past these next few seasons, they will need to plan for a future without Brady. It’s hard to look past the Super Bowl and what this roster is accomplishing now, but good teams always focus ahead. Just look at the Chiefs when they drafted Patrick Mahomes.
Tampa Bay has two options post-Brady; they can draft a quarterback now or sign a free agent. With no major free agents set to enter the market in 2022, the Buccaneers may face little luck there. The draft is now the best option, but the Bucs can’t afford to wait.
As the fanbase will predictably come up in arms at the notion of drafting a replacement for the future, this is a great time to remind everyone that this is not a Green Bay scenario. Tampa Bay has very few holes on their roster, and Brady has every weapon imaginable to get to the Super Bowl (he’s already proven it).
Drafting a quarterback to follow Brady is a smart decision by the Buccaneers and is nothing like what Green Bay did when drafting Jordan Love early. The Bucs have to plan ahead to get the best prospect possible, but the smart money is on them drafting late for the next two seasons.
Late draft picks will take the Buccaneers out of the running for the top talents in the class, which means they will need to focus on one of the developmental options that has the skill but needs time to bring it all together. There may be no one better in this class to fill that role than Jamie Newman.
Newman wouldn’t come into Tampa Bay and challenge Brady for the starting job in year one and wouldn’t need to. Newman needs time to grow and develop his skills, which is exactly what he will receive with the Buccaneers.