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FAB 1. The Bucs’ Pitch For Brady To Return In 2022

What will it take to bring Tom Brady back for another year in Tampa Bay?

Assuming he gets the green light from his wife, Giselle, Brady might return for one final season with the Bucs. But only with certain conditions that must be satisfied first.

Working in the Bucs’ favor is the fact that Brady might have had his finest season in his 22-year NFL career with 5,316 yards and a franchise-record and NFL-high 43 touchdown passes. The Pro Bowl QB has played in 34 straight games in Tampa Bay and said following the 30-27 loss to the Rams that he feels great physically. He’s still playing at an incredibly high level.

Brady has said before that he wants to play until he’s 45. One more year in red and pewter would satisfy that goal. The fact that the Bucs made some strides in 2021, improving to 13-4 and winning the NFC South, helps. As is the fact that they were so close to playing in another NFC Championship Game after their furious second-half comeback fell just short against L.A.

Working against the Bucs is the fact that Brady is seeing his children grow up and one more year of being consumed with football means missing a lot. He became the NFL’s all-time passer in 2021 and set more NFL records along the way. What more does he have left to accomplish?

There’s no shame in going out with guns blazing in a tough loss against the Rams after a marvelous, record-breaking season. He wasn’t the reason why Tampa Bay lost that game.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Brady has said he doesn’t want a farewell tour in his final year. Suddenly retiring after the 2021 season prevents that from happening. Returning for a 23rd NFL season would essentially create that farewell tour in 2022 and could pose some unwanted distractions that Brady abhors.

Assuming he listens to what head coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht have to say before making up his mind about the 2022 season, what does Brady need to hear and see to come back to Tampa Bay for one more run?

A Super Bowl-Caliber Roster

The roster that Licht built – namely a studly offensive line and wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – lured Brady to Tampa Bay in the 2020 offseason. But Brady knew the Bucs needed more pieces. So his first phone call was to convince future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement. Licht executed the trade with New England and gave Brady one of his favorite all-time weapons.

Brady liked Ronald Jones II, but saw the limitations in Jones’ abilities in the passing game. Adding Giovani Bernard in the offseason and getting Leonard Fournette right before the start of the 2020 campaign aided Brady with another couple of weapons in the passing game. Not to mention some better pass protectors.

Bucs WR Antonio Brown and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

But the Bucs weren’t finished. Brady needed another weapon and implored the Bucs to take a chance on Antonio Brown last year. When Godwin went down with a torn ACL and Brown was cut for insubordination down the stretch, Brady didn’t have any proven weapons to work with outside of Evans, Gronkowski and Fournette against the Rams. It wasn’t enough.

Breshad Perriman and Cyril Grayson, Jr. couldn’t stay healthy. Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller and Cam Brate couldn’t get open down the stretch. Brady needs better and more experienced weapons in the passing game.

Re-signing Godwin and Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen is a must. The Bucs can replace Alex Cappa at right guard if he’s too pricey to keep. But finding more weapons for Brady has to be a priority, and Tampa Bay may have to bolster its backfield.

Spotrac has Fournette’s market value at $6.1 million per season in 2022. Tampa Bay would like to have him back, but that might be a little steep. Atlanta’s Cordarrelle Patterson would be a great fit at the right price, either replacing Fournette or teaming up with him.

The Bucs shouldn’t overpay for a running back. Finding a capable third receiver is more pressing because that’s a starting position as Tampa Bay runs so much out of a three-receiver set.

Tampa native Byron Pringle may want to come home from Kansas City, and he would be affordable. He’s no AB, but he’s better than any receiver not named Evans or Godwin on the Bucs roster. Plus, Pringle could excel as a kick returner.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Those are just a couple of quick suggestions. Pewter Report will have more analysis on free agency and the NFL Draft next month in February.

But Licht, Arians and vice president of player personnel John Spytek are way ahead of the game, and have their free agency wish list ready to show Brady. Director of college scouting Mike Biehl is doing his homework on the draft as we speak. Brady will want to see a rough draft of what Tampa Bay’s 2022 roster will look like before he would commit to returning.

It needs to be Super Bowl-or-bust for Brady and the Bucs to team up again in 2022. That doesn’t mean re-signing every Tampa Bay free agent this time around, either. Just the most important pieces need to be back.

Proven Play-Caller

With offensive coordinator and play-caller Byron Leftwich possibly leaving the Bucs for a head coaching job in Jacksonville (or perhaps New Orleans), Arians knows that Brady won’t come back unless there is a proven play-caller to work with. That’s why Arians, who has 13 years of experience as a play-caller in the NFL, fired the first salvo towards bringing Brady back in his post-season press conference on Monday.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Whether it is receivers coach Kevin Garver or assistant receivers coach Thad Lewis who ultimately replaces Leftwich as the passing game coordinator (Harold Goodwin will remain the run game coordinator), Arians will call plays. That should ease Brady’s mind.

Putting together the game plan will continue to be a collaborative effort with input from quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen and senior offensive assistant Tom Moore, too. Arians is entering the fourth year of his five-year contract. Brady knows Arians will turn 70 this year, and, like Brady, he is committed to going out on top, too.

NFC South Is There For The Taking

The Bucs won the NFC South with ease – despite being swept by the Saints for the third straight regular season. Tampa Bay finished with a 4-2 record in 2021, just like New Orleans did. But the Saints stumbled to a 9-8 record last year due to inconsistent quarterback play from Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill.

New Orleans lost five straight after a 5-2 start before rallying for a 4-1 finish. Sean Payton retired after his first year without Drew Brees. Big changes will be coming to the Big Easy with a new head coach. The Saints are in salary cap trouble and no real answer at quarterback. Thanks to their 9-8 record, they won’t even have a top 15 draft pick.

Atlanta finished 7-10 in Arthur Smith’s first season, while Carolina was awful in Matt Rhule’s second season with a 5-12 record. Even if Brady doesn’t return, the Bucs still might be the favorites to win the NFC South again. If Brady is back it seems all but assured.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Why is this important? Because getting into the postseason is the goal for Brady and the Bucs. A team can’t win the Super Bowl without making the playoffs first, and the division winners start with a home playoff game.

Tampa Bay’s 2022 regular season schedule will be quite daunting, facing eight teams that made the playoffs in 2021. Kansas City, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Dallas, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Rams look like the biggest challenges on paper right now. Throw in Green Bay if Aaron Rodgers returns.

But the Bucs could go 5-1 or 6-0 in the NFC South with Brady back for another season. Tampa Bay won its first home playoff game against Philadelphia, and nearly its second one versus L.A. That should appeal to Brady.

Will it be enough? Brady will want some time to think about his immediate future and if it still involves playing football. The Bucs don’t want to rush him, but need to be prepared to explore additional options at quarterback other than Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask if Brady decides to retire.

The sooner Licht and Arians hears from Brady the better.

FAB 2. Patterson Would Be A Great Addition For Bucs

Tampa Bay would like to re-sign running back Leonard Fournette, but won’t break the bank to do so. It’s doubtful that the Bucs would pay more than $6 million per year for the 27-year old. That would represent nearly double what he made last year.

But there are other options that the Bucs could consider, including a familiar face in Atlanta’s versatile weapon, Cordarrelle Patterson. Spotrac has his market value at $9.1 million per year, which seems astronomical for a player who is neither a full-time running back nor a full-time receiver.

Patterson, who turns 31 this offseason, was a first-round pick as a wide receiver in Minnesota in 2013. While he never lived up to his potential as a receiver in his nine years in the NFL, he is a four-time Pro Bowl kick returner, averaging 29.4 yards per return with eight touchdowns in his career.

Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay’s stagnant return game could certainly use Patterson’s playmaking ability, but he became a real, all-around threat in his lone season with the Falcons last year. After being used as a runner and a receiver in New England in 2018 with 42 carries and 21 catches, and in Chicago in 2020 with 64 carries and 21 receptions, new Atlanta coach Arthur Smith turned him loose in that dual role. Patterson logged a career-high 153 carries for 618 yards (4.0 avg.) with six touchdowns. And he caught 52 passes for 548 yards (10.5 avg.) and five more TDs.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians loves running backs that can catch the ball. Patterson wouldn’t be a workhorse back at his age like the versatile David Johnson was in Arizona in 2016. That year Johnson ran for 1,239 yards and 16 TDs and caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four additional scores. But he could be used more like Fournette was in the 2020 postseason and the 2021 campaign in Tampa Bay.

Because of his wide receiver background, Patterson could also be split out wide or in the slot and help the team’s depth. The Falcons lined up Patterson in the slot 53 times and out wide 93 times last year. He had six catches for 126 yards at New Orleans last year, and had five catches for 82 yards and three TDs vs. Washington.

In two games against Tampa Bay, Patterson caught eight passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries (4.4 avg.) versus the Bucs defense. Patterson logged 108 yards rushing and two TDs on 16 carries at Jacksonville.

Not every team would appreciate Patterson’s versatility or even use him in the right way. But Arians could certainly put his multi-dimensional talents to use. Even if the Bucs were somehow able to re-sign Fournette and add Patterson, both backs could coexist on the field together in different roles. That’s something that Ronald Jones II wasn’t able to provide due to his shortcomings in the passing game.

Tampa Bay could use an experienced playmaker on offense, especially if Tom Brady returns for one more season. Brady even played with Patterson in New England, winning a Super Bowl with him in 2018. Stealing a top weapon from a division rival only adds to the appeal of pursuing Patterson in free agency.

FAB 3. 5 Senior Bowl Bucs Fit Sleepers

Senior Bowl practices begin next week and Pewter Report will be there with live coverage for PewterReport.com as well as daily podcasts. Here are some under-the-radar prospects that could be Bucs fits come April.

Nevada WR Romeo Doubs
6-2, 200 • Senior

Doubs saw the field all four years at Nevada and his production improved with each season. He finished with a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns and produced 225 catches for 3,322 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Wolfpack. Twenty of those TDs came over the last two seasons.

With a mix of good speed and size at 6-foot-2, 200, Doubs is a vertical threat that can play outside (400 reps) as well as in the slot (109 reps) in Tampa Bay. He had 13 career 100-yard games, including a pair of 200-yard performances at Nevada. Doubs was NFL prospect Carson Strong’s favorite target in the passing game.

North Dakota State WR Christian Watson
6-5, 208 • Senior

Watson, who went to Plant High School in Tampa, averaged 18.6 yards per catch with 43 receptions for 801 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. A gifted athlete with speed to burn, Watson thrived as a receiver in North Dakota State’s run-first offense. He even ran for 392 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries during his Bison career.

Watson has excellent height and length that allows him to win contested catches. He totaled 105 catches for 2,140 yards (20.3 avg.) with 14 touchdowns at North Dakota State. Watson is a smooth athlete who can also play on special teams. He returned two kicks for touchdowns in 2020 and averaged 26.3 yards per return during his career.

Nebraska LB Jo-Jo Domann
6-1, 230 • Senior

Nebraska is member of the Big Ten, so it’s not like Domann is a real sleeper from a smaller school. But the Cornhuskers have fallen off the national radar in recent years and Domann is a prospect that Bucs fans should know about. He’s battled injuries over the years due to his hard-charging playing style, but Domann has been incredibly productive.

Domann finished his Nebraska career with 208 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an incredible nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He’s one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft with 15 pass breakups and three interceptions, including two as a senior. The fact that Domann can blitz and cover makes him very appealing to Tampa Bay as a possible eventual replacement for Lavonte David.

Colorado State TE Trey McBride
6-4, 260 • Senior

Draftniks won’t consider McBride a sleeper, as he’s considered perhaps the top tight end in the 2022 NFL Draft. But playing at Colorado State, McBride was off of most people’s radars over the last couple of years. He put up some ridiculous production with 90 catches for 1,121 yards and one touchdowns last year despite being the Rams’ obvious primary weapon.

McBride, who totaled 10 career TDs at Colorado State, has good size at 6-foot-4, 260, and he’s not just a receiving tight end. He’s also a very good inline blocker. With the Bucs’ tight end position possibly undergoing an overhaul this offseason, McBride may be in their radar.

Montana State LB Troy Andersen
6-4, 236 • Senior

Andersen starred at the same school that produced former Bucs practice squad receiver Travis Jonsen. At Montana, Andersen played quarterback and running back before moving to linebacker. He rushed for 1,412 yards as a wildcat QB with 21 TDs and a 6.9 avg. Additionally, he threw three TDs and seven INTs before switching to linebacker full-time.

A great athlete with ideal size at 6-4, 236 and good speed, Andersen logged 147 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, seven passes broken up and two interceptions as a senior. He even punted the ball four times with three inside the 20 and a 36.5 avg. Andersen’s NFL future is at linebacker, but his all-around skill set could make him a valuable addition on a game day roster.

FAB 4. 5 East-West Shrine Bowl Bucs Fit Sleepers

Now that we’ve looked at five sleepers in the Senior Bowl, let’s do the same for the East-West Shrine Bowl. The game used to be in St. Petersburg, but has now moved to Las Vegas. Here are five names to know from the East-West Shrine Bowl that could be fits in Tampa Bay.

Hawaii RB-WR Calvin Turner, Jr.
5-11, 195 • Senior

One of my favorite sleepers is Turner, who has the best hands of any running back in the 2022 NFL Draft. Turner was a JUCO transfer in 2020 and rushed for 331 yards and four touchdowns on 60 carries (5.5 avg.) and caught 33 passes for 546 yards (16.5 avg.) and six touchdowns as a senior. He came back for his COVID year in 2021 and was even more impressive with 73 carries for 316 yards (4.3 avg.) and eight TDs along with 73 receptions for 876 yards (12 avg.) and four TDs.

If you liked Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell in last year’s draft class, you’ll love Turner who runs routes like a receiver. Turner is explosive with the ball in his hands and has great vision. He also played wildcat quarterback at Hawaii by the goal line, and can help on special teams as a kick returner. Turner averaged 24.4 yards per return and had one touchdown. The Bucs could use him as a third down back, a slot receiver or as a return specialist.

Nebraska WR Samori Toure
6-3, 190 • Senior

Toure starred at Montana where he shredded the FCS level, including 12 catches for 303 yards and three touchdowns vs. SE Louisiana in 2019. That broke Randy Moss’ FCS receiving yards record in a playoff game. He finished his Grizzlies career with 155 receptions for 2,488 yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons before transferring to Nebraska.

At 6-foot-3, 193 pounds, Toure has good size and is built similar to Buffalo receiver Gabriel Davis. He plays like him, too. Toure is a vertical threat in the passing game either from the slot or outside, which should appeal to the Bucs. He averaged an eye-catching 19.9 yards per reception in his lone season at Nebraska, catching 45 passes for 896 yards and five touchdowns.

Arkansas CB Montaric “Busta” Brown
6-0, 190 • Senior

Brown was a late bloomer at Arkansas where he came on as a senior. At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Brown has good size and the length to play press-man coverage. He’s a very competitive cornerback that doesn’t shy away from contact. Brown is known for his tight coverage and his sure tackling ability in run support.

Brown had 15 pass breakups in his Razorbacks career, including six last year. His playmaking rose to a new level as a senior as he recorded five of his six career interceptions in 2021 along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Brown would be a good scheme fit in Tampa Bay and has experience playing on special teams, too.

Louisiana S Percy Butler
6-0, 190 • Senior

Butler is one of the better gunners in the draft, which is what teams like Tampa Bay will be looking for in Day 3 prospects. He plays with his hair on fire on special teams and on defense where he was a three year starter for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Butler has a knack for being around the ball and making plays, evidenced by five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries at Louisiana.

His pass coverage is improving with all three of his career interceptions coming over the last three years, in addition to 10 of Butler’s career 13 pass breakups. Butler is a box safety that does most of his damage near the line of scrimmage where he’s recorded nine tackles for loss and a sack.

Middle Tennessee State S Reed Blankenship
6-1, 204 • Senior

Blankenship was one of the most productive defensive backs in college football during his career. As a four-year starter, he logged 419 career tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and was a force against the run with three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown. Blankenship also broke up 19 passes and had nine interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six.

He logged three sacks as a blitzer from the slot, which should intrigue Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Blankenship, who had two seasons in which he recorded over 100 tackles, can play on special teams, too. He blocked two kicks as a senior for the Blue Raiders.

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• THE LATEST ON LEFTWICH: Will the Jaguars hire Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to be their next head coach? They want to, but Leftwich doesn’t want to work with current Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke. Instead, he wants Baalke fired and for the Jaguars to hire Arizona vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson. Baalke doesn’t mind the Leftwich hire, but wants to pair the inexperienced head coach with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Those arranged marriages rarely work out.

Instead, Leftwich wants to bring Bucs outside linebackers coach Larry Foote to Jacksonville to be the defensive coordinator. He also wants to bring receivers coach Kevin Garver to be the offensive coordinator, yet Leftwich will still call plays. The Bucs would also like to retain Garver and promote him as well, so there could be a bit of a bidding war between Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. But Leftwich needs to get hired first.

• FIRST PEWTER REPORT MOCK COMING SOON: Should the Bucs lose Leftwich to a head coaching job as expected, Tampa Bay will receive a third-round compensatory draft pick in 2022 and in 2023. That’s due to a new NFL policy that rewards teams for developing minority coaches and executives.

Because the Bucs would receive a bonus third-round pick this year, we’re delaying the first Pewter Report 2022 Bucs 7-Round Mock Draft until Leftwich gets hired – or stays in Tampa Bay. The minute we find out whether or not the Bucs will get a compensatory pick we’ll publish our first mock draft of 2022 – likely this weekend. Stay tuned.

• BUCS OFFSEASON PREVIEW ON THE PEWTER REPORT PODCAST: The Pewter Report Podcast is energized by CELSIUS and broadcasts four live episodes each week. Pewter Report Podcasts will be on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday typically at 4:00 pm EST unless we have a special guest. The Pewter Report team will be broadcasting live from Mobile, Ala. with Senior Bowl coverage next week, so stay tuned.

On Monday, Jon Ledyard and Scott Reynolds recapped the Bucs’ loss to the Rams and looked ahead to some possible changes on Tampa Bay’s coaching staff.

On Wednesday, Ledyard and Reynolds discussed what Byron Leftwich leaving for Jacksonville would mean to several members of the Bucs staff and what the QB position could look like in 2022.

On Thursday, Ledyard and Paul Atwal discussed how the Bucs offense needs to evolve in 2022.

Watch the Pewter Report Podcasts live on our PewterReportTV channel on YouTube.com and please subscribe (it’s free) and add your comments. We archive all Pewter Report Podcasts. So you can watch the recorded episodes if you missed them live.

There is no better time to listen to or watch a new Pewter Report Podcast – energized by CELSIUS – than Friday afternoon on the way home from work. Or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands.

The popularity of the Pewter Report Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Report Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course the Pewter Report Podcast is also available on iTunes and YouTube. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• WIRFS MAY OR MAY NOT NEED SURGERY: The ankle injury to Bucs right tackle Tristan Wirfs is so severe that it not only kept him from playing against the Rams, but it might require offseason surgery.

“It would definitely keep him out of OTAs if that’s the case,” Arians said. “I don’t think that decision has been made yet. He’s looking at his options. [Surgery] is one option. So, yeah, I haven’t talked to the doctors yet, but he is looking at two different options.”