Buccaneers: Larry Fitzgerald in Tampa Bay doesn’t hurt

Larry Fitzgerald, free agent option for the Buccaneers (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Larry Fitzgerald, free agent option for the Buccaneers (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Larry Fitzgerald would only help the Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have leaned into the identity of the “Island of Misfit Toys.” Players like Brady and LeSean McCoy were “well past their prime” allegedly, yet this process led to a Super Bowl victory. Now, anyone who wants to win a ring will give the Bucs extra consideration, which could bring Larry Fitzgerald to Tampa.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk outlined the possibility of Fitzgerald reuniting with former head coach Bruce Arians, and this idea makes sense for a variety of reasons.

While the Buccaneers have plenty of depth at the wide receiver position, they could lose Antonio Brown in the coming weeks. Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson would be great in the role that Brown played in 2020, but Fitzgerald is still an improvement.

Larry Fitzgerald helps the Buccaneers in multiple areas

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Fitzgerald’s snaps would be smaller than Brown’s, which would let the depth players get more touches this season, allowing the Bucs to continue playing at a high level while developing their youth.

In addition to the fit of talent, the thought of Fitzgerald catching passes from Brady is too good to pass up. Imagine the best quarterback of all-time throwing to a clear top-3 wide receiver of all time. That narrative is too good to pass up.

Finally, the connection between Arians and former players shouldn’t be lost on Bucs fans. Arians has gone after plenty of former players, especially from during his time with the Cardinals. Fitzgerald is an institution in Arizona and will be hard-pressed to leave, but if the team cuts him, Fitzgerald could see the Bucs as an obvious landing spot based on this relationship with his former coach.

Larry Fitzgerald has reached a pivotal moment in his career. The longtime Arizona Cardinal probably doesn’t want to leave his home, but by the same token, he still looks like he wants to play and wants to win a ring before he retires. Tampa Bay can give him both, and the Bucs would benefit from another Hall of Famer on their roster during a push for a second Super Bowl.

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