Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are such an attractive fit for Tom Brady

If Tom Brady really doesn’t return to the New England Patriots, here is why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be such an attractive landing spot for him.

Could it be a pirate’s life for Tom Brady?

If Brady were to leave the New England Patriots in his impending free agency, one team that has really picked up some steam in recent weeks is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite being a franchise that hasn’t qualified for the NFC playoffs since the Patriots almost achieved perfection, there are many reasons why he might find this downtrodden NFC South franchise so attractive.

Though Tampa has very little Fortune 500 presence, it is in Florida, which would mean no state income tax for Brady. He’d also get to play his final three NFL seasons in mild NFC South climates. Nine of his games would be outdoors in pleasant temperatures in Tampa and Charlotte, as well as two guaranteed dome games in Atlanta and New Orleans annually.

While joining an NFC South with three perennial Pro Bowl quarterbacks in Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan, Brady could be the difference to get the Buccaneers back into the NFC playoffs after missing out on them since 2007. The Buccaneers have a great receiving corps, terrific pass rushers and a head coach who isn’t afraid risking it. There’s a lot to like.

Brady would Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard to throw the ball to, which is better than whoever he’s worked with in New England recently. With Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul coming off the edge, Brady will have a defense with the complementary pass rush to thrive by playing ahead. Most importantly, Tampa Bay has Bruce Arians at head coach.

Though Brady doesn’t have the arm strength to stretch the field in Arians’ vertical passing game, he won’t make boneheaded mistakes like his potential Tampa Bay predecessor Jameis Winston did with great regularity. Arians and Brady could devise an offense to get the most out of his declining skill set, while catapulting Tampa Bay to the top of the division.

In the past, Arians has shown he’s willing to let his star quarterback handle some of the offensive play-calling. Look no further than when he was Ben Roethlisberger‘s offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Tampa Bay can develop a complementary running game and finally develop a home-field advantage, the Buccaneers might be good enough to sniff the playoffs.

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Ultimately, Brady could take advantage of a small-market franchise with no playoff appearances in years and land a Godfather offer to go to Florida, getting to semi-retire while playing quarterback.

This could blow up in the Buccaneers’ face, but it is a risk worth taking to be relevant once again if you’re Tampa.