Former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell shed some light on what it was like to be a young wideout playing alongside current Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
Mitchell said Brady respects guys that are fully committed and attempt to limit mental mistakes (via Abigail Adams of NESN):
“I am not sure I have the answer to that. I can tell you how I approached every day and that was to give it 110 percent and minimize mistakes and show I was dedicated to do whatever it took to win,” Mitchell said, as transcribed by WEEI’s Ryan Hannable. “… I would say the pat-on-the-back philosophy isn’t used much in football, but you can just tell based off of the confidence and the throws, how early he (Brady) throws the ball, how often he throws you the ball and just overall communication — little subtle things here and there.”
Mitchell was one of the unsung offensive threats of the 2016 Patriots, notching 32 receptions from Tom Brady for 401 yards and four touchdowns despite playing less than half of the team's offensive snaps.
Perhaps guys like N'Keal Harry could have used that advice last year. But Tom Brady is on to Tampa, where he will have no shortage of weapons at the skill positions.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans has been named to the Pro Bowl in three of the last four seasons. Chris Godwin joined him last year after ranking third in reception yards (1,333) and second in reception yards per game (95.2).
Not to mention, Tom Brady and the Bucs were able to coax tight end Rob Gronkowski out of retirement, providing the six-time Super Bowl champion with a familiar face as he grows accustomed to new surroundings.
Still, rookie receiver Tyler Johnson and third-year man Justin Watson will do well to establish a rapport with Tom Brady as the Bucs hope to challenge for the Lombardi Trophy this season.
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