The Tampa Bay Buccaneers once again find themselves posing the question: is former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston really the franchise quarterback?
Winston led the NFL in passing yards (5,109) and also threw 33 touchdown passes, but he threw 30 interceptions, the highest single-season total since former Bucs quarterback Vinny Testaverde was picked off 35 times in 1988.
The former Florida State star is a free agent this offseason. It appears the Buccaneers might be prepared to move on from him — and then some.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported the Buccaneers are among the three teams “most likely” to pursue Tom Brady in free agency:
It may just be posturing for a new contract with the Patriots, but Brady appears to be the linchpin of the entire quarterback market, and he seems to know it. I spoke to a league source last week who is closely connected to one of the free agent quarterbacks (not Brady). The source said that every team looking for a quarterback this spring wants to know what Brady is doing before moving on to Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, or any other available quarterback. The source said teams weren’t really interested in Drew Brees — perhaps because he said he would only return to the Saints — but they are definitely interested in Brady. And the source said that three teams keep getting brought up as most likely to go after him — the Chargers, Raiders, and Buccaneers. Even though Brady will be 43 years old in August, it appears that he will be in high demand. And based off his social media feed, Brady wants the Patriots and the rest of the world to know it.
Would Brady really join forces with a franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2007?
The Bucs finished 7-9 last season despite Winston's inconsistencies, and they were among the stingiest defenses in the NFL in terms of DVOA. Tampa Bay also have top receiving threats in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Perhaps the Bucs can sell Brady on the team's upside.
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