Bucs GM on Tom Brady Phone Call: 'It Was Almost Like a Recruitment on His Part'

While the reasoning behind the Buccaneers' pitch to Tom Brady is obvious, the future Hall of Famer was apparently eager to win over Tampa Bay brass before signing with the team. 

Bucs general manager Jason Licht appeared on ESPN's Get Up on Monday and revealed Brady's side of the conversation was "almost like a recruitment" to push Tampa to sign him:

"As soon as Wednesday rolled around and we were able to talk to Tom Brady, we had a great conversation. Bruce and I we talked to him for over an hour-and-a-half, and he made it clear in the conversation that he was very, very interested. It was almost like a recruitment on his part telling us why it would make sense for him to come to Tampa Bay, and the following day we signed him. But it was at that phone call that we realized that we felt like we had him."

The Buccaneers signed Brady to a two-year contract with $50 million in guarantees, ending his 20-year run in New England.

Licht's comments may have offered some insight into why Brady moved teams. As he plays deeper into his 40s, the Patriots (somewhat reasonably) have been treating Brady's future as a year-to-year proposition.

Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston reported Brady nearly walked out on the team a year ago over frustrations with his contract before being awarded an "extension" that really amounted to a one-year raise with voidable seasons. Tellingly, Brady had the Patriots put language in his contract that prevented him from being franchised—a move that led to him being allowed to sign in Tampa.

The Bucs were willing to guarantee not one but two full years of Brady's contract, taking him through his age-44 season. It was a move of loyalty and respect similar to the one the New Orleans Saints gave Drew Brees, who has a decade-and-a-half's worth of relationships built up with the organization.

Brady's desire for such a show of faith, and the Bucs' willingness to give him one, is perhaps the biggest reason he's in Tampa now.