The decision for Tom Brady to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency is an interesting one and so was Tampa Bay's pursuit of the legendary quarterback. While making a run at Brady, the Buccaneers had an interesting nickname for their plan to land him in free agency.
In the movie “Field of Dreams”, one of the characters named Ray is an avid fan of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. During the movie, Ray hears a voice tell him, “If you build it, he will come”. Then, after Ray turned his cornfield into a baseball field, Jackson's ghost was seen playing baseball on the field.
Therefore, the Buccaneers nicknamed their pursuit of Brady, “Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson”. That is because they built a foundation (a talented roster) and Brady became a possibility for them.
Once the 2019 season concluded, there were a handful of teams that were regarded as likely landing spots for Brady. For the most part, everyone thought the Indianapolis Colts or Los Angeles Chargers would be the front runners to sign him. Even the San Francisco 49ers were once considered a long shot to lure Brady in free agency.
However, after Brady announced he wouldn't be returning to the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay seized their opportunity. Rather than take a wait-and-see approach, the Buccaneers aggressively pursued the six-time Super Bowl champion.
With Brady now manning the offense, the Buccaneers are suddenly considered as contenders in the NFC. Regardless of what Tampa Bay called their master plan to get Brady, it worked to perfection.
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