Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has yet to play a game in his new threads. Regardless, it seems New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is already taking notice.
The Bucs have generated plenty of hype with the arrival of Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski this offseason. Payton admits that they are one of the few teams he is concerned about, via JoeBucsFan.com:
“Here’s the good news: The good news is, and I say this in all seriousness, is man, there’s only about 10 or 11 relevant teams,” Payton said. “And I think you’re on point, not only Tom but also [Rob] Gronkowski. When someone like Tom comes there, it’s not just the quarterback position. The thing as a coach in the division that concerns you, is you know just the standard’s going to change [in Tampa], and I think that’s a credit to the really, really, really special players.
“And we’re watching a month of my man [Michael Jordan] here,” Payton continued, referring to the ESPN documentary. “He brought up everyone else around him, and I think that same thing will happen with Tom. But I do feel like [him coming to the Bucs] makes it exciting and certainly newsworthy.”
Payton's comments are certainly understandable. Not only is the rest of the league coming to grips with the newfound star power in Tampa Bay, but it shakes up the balance of power in the NFC South in particular.
The Saints have reigned over the division for the last three years straight. They did what they could to keep it going by securing veterans like quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Despite their efforts, Payton has seemingly acknowledged that the Bucs already have what it takes to match up with them on paper.
Of course, it is going to take some time for Brady to get acquainted with the new weapons at his disposal. Meanwhile, New Orleans already has their system in place that has helped them maintain their status as a bonafide contender in the NFC. However, Payton has no intention of overlooking his divisional rivals.
