Tom Brady: How the recent extension impacts the Buccaneers

Tom Brady is extending his stay with the Buccaneers.

Did anyone expect anything different? After winning the Super Bowl and changing the culture in Tampa overnight, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers were destined to remain together for longer than just one more season.

Given Brady’s stellar performance as the best quarterback in franchise history after just one season, the decision to look into an extension was a no-brainer. The cash-strapped Bucs saw Brady as a clear contender to play for at least two more seasons, and an extension also helps the team stay relevant in 2021.

Cap space is not easy to come by, especially in a year where it has shrunk by more than ten million dollars. The Bucs were able to make some safe decisions to bring Lavonte David back for the next two years, and the same thing was done with Brady’s extension.

The Tom Brady extension will help the Buccaneers plenty

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According to Adam Schefter on Twitter, the extension, that is filled with voidable years like Lavonte David’s, will allow the Buccaneers to save 19 million dollars in cap space in 2021. The extension ensures that Brady will remain with the team through 2022 on a team-friendly deal, and the opportunities for the Buccaneers to take advantage of this are numerous.

For starters, Tom Brady finally provides consistency for the Bucs at quarterback. Tampa Bay doesn’t have to look at differing options across the league, free-agent quarterbacks and draft picks matter less, and the Bucs can focus on building a team around the greatest player of all time.

In addition to Brady himself, the deal allows the Bucs to make several moves to keep the team competitive down the road.

The main priority, for now, needs to be signing Shaquil Barrett to a long-term extension. The Bucs need to lock down their franchise pass-rusher, and the money is better now to make that happen, although a few more moves with players like Cameron Brate would help too.

Assuming Barrett is addressed, the Buccaneers will also have more money to spend on free agents. If Brady wants a player like James White, Tampa Bay has more money to make that happen. Tom Brady still gets paid, he gets to request player additions that he wants, and everyone stays happy.

The Buccaneer front office has made plenty of spectacular deals over the past year to bring them to the spot that they are in, but this move could set itself apart as one of the best during this time based on the implications.

The Super Bowl window remains wide open, and the Buccaneers are in an even better position to run it back in 2021.

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