Tom Brady Said Bucs Have Chance to Be Very Special During Free-Agency Meeting

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians knew they had a realistic chance to sign legendary quarterback Tom Brady, who ultimately signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Bucs, after one comment during the free-agent meeting.

ESPN's Ian O'Connor reported behind-the-scenes details of the key moment:

"Licht doesn't recall Brady's exact words, but at one point in the call the six-time Super Bowl champ said something to the effect of, 'I think we've got something. We've got a chance to be very special.'

"That's when Licht looked up from his seat in Arians' living room and gave his head coach a thumbs-up."

Signing the uber-efficient Brady to replace the mistake-prone Jameis Winston has the potential to do wonders for Tampa in 2020.

A lot was made about the longtime New England Patriots superstar's statistical drop off last season—his 24 touchdown passes were his lowest total since 2006—but his eight interceptions in 16 games were 22 fewer than Winston's league-leading 30.

Protecting the football to create far fewer instances of poor field position should provide a major boost for the Buccaneers' defense.

Tampa Bay ranked 29th in points allowed per game last season (28.1), but the unit was tied for sixth in yards allowed per play (5.1) and fifth in defensive DVOA, per Football Outsiders.

When you consider those latter numbers combined with an offense featuring terrific upside as Brady can throw to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard—a dramatic improvement from the lackluster weapons he had in New England last year—and the Bucs are a legitimate threat on paper.

Licht, a former member of the Patriots' player personnel department, isn't shying away from the suddenly sky-high expectations.

"But I've only been fortunate to win one Super Bowl, Tom's first Super Bowl, and there's no better feeling," he told O'Connor. "It doesn't matter what position you have in the organization. My goal is to win another Super Bowl."

The lack of offseason team activities, which are delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, is a concern as Brady looks to get up to full speed in a new offense.

Even if the Bucs get off to a sluggish start as a result, they should pick up steam throughout the campaign and peak in time for the playoffs, where no one has a better track record than their new QB.