Tom Brady Provides 'Different' Feel to Buccaneers Huddle, Bruce Arians Says

Having Tom Brady in a huddle can give a team confidence. 

Just ask Bruce Arians. 

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach pointed to the change in attitude on the field that will come with Brady taking over for Jameis Winston.

Players reported to their teams Tuesday—aside from rookies and quarterbacks, who had already reported—but Brady got a head start this summer by holding private workouts with his new teammates. 

Those practices were held entirely without coordination from the Bucs. Brady did it all himself— drawing scrutiny from the NFLPA in the process in the wake of its coronavirus guidelines. The only thing Arians said he knew for sure was that Brady had a good turnout from the players he invited. 

The Bucs coach called it a "good team-building experience" on Tuesday, but the real benefit seems to be the experience Brady got with the playbook. 

"He's way ahead of the curve," Arians said, per Carmen Vitali of Buccaneers.com. "He's a very bright guy. The terminology was the big thing and as we now get together, starting tomorrow, we'll start to collaborate a little bit more. I think he's in a great spot right now as far as that goes."

Arians added those conversations will focus on finding middle ground with his new quarterback. As much as the coach is willing to bend to Brady's liking, he's also weary of complicating matters too much for the players who have now spent more than a year in offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich's system. 

At this point, Arians seems more excited to test out that new confidence in the huddle than anything else. Without OTAs and minicamps, there's anticipation in Brady finally taking the field—even if it's just practice. 

"I think his big concern is having no live reps up until now," Arians said. "Missing those reps in the spring, especially against a defense like ours where he's going to see multiple looks all the time."