Cam Newton’s a Patriot. Tom Brady’s a Buccaneer. If you’d have said either of
these moves would’ve taken place to me 2 years ago, I’d have made that signature
face black people make when we know we’ve heard something stupid (you know
the face…)Here we are and even still, the Coronavirus pandemic may make all
these offseason changes all for naught. How on earth did we get here in the world
of football? There seemed to be 3 guarantees in life: that it’ll be punctuated in
death, that you’ll be taxed for any and everything, and that Tom Brady and Bill
Belichick will find a way to a first round bye and a date at the Super Bowl. Well,
headed into the first official season of this new, already explosive decade there’s a
new man under center for the most hated team in sports… Superman is a Patriot.
Even more unbelievable is that TB12 is out of Foxborough and into Tampa Bay.
Much has been made about both deals. The unbelievably low amounts of money a
former league MVP is going to make in Cam, and the sheer amount of money that
a 42 year old quarterback who’s turning 43 before taking a snap is making in Tom
Brady. But when they’re both healthy, they’re two of the best in the sport. Looking
at why their teams wanted them is also an interesting look into the minds of
football’s two best coaches, Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians.
Starting with Cam and the Patriots, it’s not hard to see why their marriage would
happen sooner, rather than later. Coach Belichick is often considered the greatest
scout of his generation. Being able to see things in players and the game that’ll put
his teams in positions to win. 6 Super Bowls won with 9 appearances as a head
coach will earn you that reputation. So when he praises a player, it’s best we take
note. Cam Newton is the only quarterback playing today that can say he’s
undefeated with multiple wins against the Patriots in the Brady-Belichick era.
Coach Belichick knows this and I can bet he’s lost sleep over the fact. Calling Cam
Newton public enemy number one of the dual-threat QBs wasn’t a mistake. In their
one meeting before the quote, Cam put on a show. 209 yards and three touchdowns
in the air to go along with 65 yards on the ground and being hard to sack all night,
he led his team to a 24-20 victory. Then after the quote Cam proceeded to break the
record for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback against, you guessed
it, the New England Patriots. All in a win might I add. Bill Belichick admires
versatility in players more than anyone, and Cam is probably the most versatile
quarterback in the NFL when healthy.
Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T. Greatest of All Time. Few can rival him for that
position, but in the end, his accomplishments tower over the rest. He’s also 43
years old by the time kick off occurs this season. And was so burnt out by New
England’s system and lack of talent around him that them splitting was probably
for the best. Brady gets to play with deep threats in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin
in an offense predicated on taking deep shots down the field. That’s a far cry from
the dink and dump system that’s become so popular within New England. Anyone
who’s ever played backyard football knows, throwing deep is ALWAYS fun. Bruce
Arians is also going to love this union. Being the head coach in Tampa Bay last
season must’ve been disheartening. An explosive aerial attack that put up 5100
plus yards while producing two 1000 yard receivers and a defense that put the
quarterback on the ground 47 times and had the league sack leader were both
ruined by a quarterback eyeing the record books for all the wrong reasons, Jameis
Winston. While his penchant to throw the ball to the other team has been written
about ad nauseam, it’s necessary as it points out why Tom Brady is his antithesis.
Brady reads defenses. He knows what should and shouldn’t be open based on
alignment and positioning of defenders. He’ll hot route receivers, multiple times if
need be. He doesn’t carelessly throw the ball in harm’s way, only having 1 season
of the past 6 end up in double digit interceptions. But therein lies any concerns that
may be had about Tom’s fit in Tampa. Arians’ system encourages taking risks. Tom
Brady likes to minimize those risks. Having Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and
now Gronk are going to help make the decision to risk it easier, but if they’re not
open, is Brady going to trust them to make the play? Remember, the reason Brady
and Belichick worked as well as they did was because they cared about winning
more than anyone else. They both understand that turnovers lose you games. Is
Brady going to be open to throwing a 50/50 ball if his flats open when he’s got
Coach Arians telling him in his headset to risk it for the biscuit? Time will tell and
we already know, Tom doesn’t listen well to Father Time.
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