Tom Brady may have to throw more deep balls in 2020 than he has thrown in any other season of his NFL career, and it’s not unreasonable to view that as a potential problem for a quarterback who will turn 43 in August. That is obviously something the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked into, and they don’t sound the least bit concerned.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht said on ESPN’s “Get Up!” Monday morning that the team does not believe Brady’s arm strength has diminished based on the quarterback’s tape from last season.
“We felt that he had the ideal arm for Bruce and his system. He can still throw it deep,” Licht said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We felt the mobility was still the same as he’s always had, which he’s never been able to out-run anybody but he’s good in the pocket in terms of eluding pressure with his poise and his instincts. We did not see a decline in his arm talent whatsoever and in fact we felt like he could play for over two years for us. Hopefully, that’s the case.”
The system Brady helped created in New England is one that emphasizes getting the ball out quickly and throwing a ton of short routes. Arians has typically coached with a much different style, as his quarterbacks utilize a lot of deep dropbacks and throws down the field. Brady’s arm strength may be put to the test more than ever in Tampa Bay, so time will tell if he’s still able to deliver the ball accurately downfield.
Of course, Arians has already said the Bucs’ offense next season will likely be a combination of the coach’s philosophies and what Brady is comfortable with. We shouldn’t expect to see Brady slinging the ball deep the way Jameis Winston and Ben Roethlisberger did while playing under Arians.
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