5 players who Buccaneers need to be great in 2020

Tampa Bay Buccaneers x-factor: Tom Brady, QB

Of course, nothing discussed on the prior slides matters if Tom Brady is not great in 2020. If he falls short, things can spiral out of control rather quickly for the Buccaneers.

Still, this was a great bet by Tampa Bay.

In 2019, Brady had games and stretches where he struggled. But his overall body of work was still good, and he did so without much on offense. He finished with 4,057 yards, 24 touchdown throws and eight picks.

Brady is 42 years old, yet he still has the ability to be one of the top 5-10 quarterbacks in the NFL. Although, some concern seems to have set in around if he can continue to play at such a high level. Last year, he did have his lowest quarterback rating (88.0) since the 2013 season (87.3).

With Gronkowski back, and far more talent at the skill positions on offense, Brady is no longer in a position where he needs to win games on his own. Last year, that was often the case without much experience and depth on offense for the Patriots.

Not many quarterbacks have the luxury of throwing to a Hall of Fame tight end, and two receivers coming off 1,100+ receiving yard, 8+ touchdown seasons. Brady will in 2020.

This team won seven games with Winston in 2019. With Brady, the bar is set much higher and last year’s record suggests that this team is a strong quarterback away from contending.

Brady did not sign in Tampa Bay to enjoy the weather at the back end of his career. He signed to win a Super Bowl, and he is the most important piece when it comes to making that happen.