-On Good Morning Football this morning, the crew checked in with NFL Network's James Palmer who had high praise for the weapons here in Tampa Bay, saying it is arguably the best group of skill players that has ever surrounded Tom Brady. Palmer also mentioned that Brady had only ever played with three Pro Bowl wide receivers prior to signing with the Bucs. He now has two wideouts coming off Pro Bowl seasons already in both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
The thing is, it doesn't stop there. He has his favorite target from New England in Rob Gronkowski down here, completing a stacked tight end room that already boasts O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, who create mismatches all over the field. The team also signed veteran running back LeSean McCoy, known for his natural hands, to add to a young stable of backs that includes Ronald Jones II and Dare Ogunbowale.
Every level of the offense is set up for Brady – and every level of the defense, too. GMFB's Kay Adams asked Palmer about the defense and if they're benefitting from Brady's arrival, to which Palmer agreed – but then turned the tables.
"Going against a guy that's a veteran and uses his mind and his eyes so well in Tom Brady is going to help [the secondary] grow," said Palmer. "But how about the other way around? This front seven you could say is one of the best in the NFL when you have Vita Vea, William Gholston, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquil Barrett who had 19.5 sacks a year ago, the list goes on and on. It's a complex front that Todd Bowles runs."
And while no one is allowed to touch Brady in practice, simulated pressure is still there. The defense has forced its fair share of incompletions and even a couple interceptions in the first few days of offense vs. defense.
-Yahoo! Sports previews the top 10 storylines for this coming season and would you guess who made it into the top three, even with a global pandemic changing life as we know it in every aspect? That's right, Tom Brady and the Bucs.
"In any other year, Tom Brady playing on another team after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots would be the runaway No. 1 option," said Yahoo! Sports. "And when the games start, we'll still be baffled and amazed by the sight of Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. Rob Gronkowski, too."
Oh yeah, also Gronk.
Right underneath the Tompa Bay storyline is of course, the New England Patriots and what they'll look like without Brady under center for the first time in almost two decades. They've got a quarterback competition between former MVP Cam Newton and Brady's backup in Jarrett Stidham. Between the two story lines, we'll all finally get the answer to how Brady and Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick can do without one another.
-Another top three list the Bucs land in is on The Athletic*, whose Sheil Kapadia wrote about which non-playoff teams have the best chance at the postseason this year*. Tampa Bay came in at number three.
"Brady is rejuvenated by the more relaxed atmosphere in Tampa and is reminded of what it's like to play with great receivers as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin combine for 2,600 yards," wrote Kapadia. "Shaq Barrett headlines a defense that returns a league-high 84 percent of its snaps from a season ago and features one of the NFL's best front sevens."
Hear that? More people saying the Bucs' front seven may be one of the best in the league. Though, no one is mentioning Lavonte David as the leader of that front seven (/defense as a whole). I know David is in the middle level, and therefore not technically in the front of the front seven, but he makes that thing hum and I won't tolerate glossing over the best inside linebacker in the league. Especially when he's paired with one of the biggest defensive rising stars in Devin White.
If you want to hear more about David, I dedicated my entire column to him yesterday.
-We got to hear from two Bucs receivers today, as well as their coach, Kevin Garver. Mike Evans talked about working on the little things and how Brady is already one of his favorite teammates he's ever played with.
Scotty Miller is vying for the third receiver spot behind Evans and Godwin and he's been showing off his speed in camp already. He feels that he and his quarterback have meshed well together already and is enjoying working with the 20-year vet.
-Have you been following along with training camp? Here are takeaways from the past few days to make sure you're caught up.
Bucs Tweet of the Day:
Scotty Miller is vying for the third receiver spot behind Evans and Godwin and he's been showing off his speed in camp already. He feels that he and his quarterback have meshed well together already and is enjoying working with the 20-year vet.
