- Deshaun Watson has been dealt. He’s on his way to the Cleveland Browns, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ non-rival. The Buccaneers will be impacted by the change in the following ways.
- After what seems like an age, the Houston Texans have finally parted ways with the, shall we say, “controversial” Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster deal after an offseason littered with surprises. After being connected to almost every club in the NFC South, the prize winner is, of course, the Browns.
- When Tom Brady was still retired, the Buccaneers seemed to be a viable option. Naturally, when he returned, they withdrew from the race. Then it was down to the division’s last three clubs, with Watson ruling out the Carolina Panthers. When it came down to the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, the Browns prevailed and now have their new franchise quarterback in place of Baker Mayfield.
How does this impact the Tampa Bay Buccaneers though?
- On the surface, the answer seems to be very different. The NFC remains a two-team competition. Brady’s return and the transfer of all of these elite players to the AFC essentially means the Buccaneers need to finally defeat the Rams, who are still looking like an incredible juggernaut.
- That concludes the NFC. In terms of the South, the split may become a bit more acrid. The Saints, Panthers, and maybe the Falcons are reportedly said to be interested in Mayfield.
- Having said that, the division was “tough” during the Brady era in Tampa Bay. Throughout the regular season, the Buccaneers battled mostly the Saints and were usually on the losing end. The critical phrase there is “regular season.” Once the playoffs began in 2020, Brady did what Brady does and the Bucs defeated the Saints in the Superdome, thereby destroying their Super Bowl ambitions and Drew Brees’ career. The Saints swept the Buccaneers once again in 2021, but only the Buccaneers advanced to the playoffs. The argument is that with another elite quarterback in the division, the Buccaneers may lose a few more games, but with Brady, they will always have the advantage come playoff time.
- Of course, Mayfield is somewhat younger than Brees was, but he is not nearly as accomplished a quarterback. He would, however, be a significant boost over whoever the Saints or Panthers intend to field there. The Falcons’ fate is contingent upon what they get in exchange for Matt Ryan.
- At the end of the day, the Buccaneers’ route to the Super Bowl may become a little rougher, but likely enough to shift the needle. Watson avoiding the divide may have created an opening for Mayfield to enter, but door number two still had Brady behind it.
- Longer term, though, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need to identify an heir apparent, whether Kyle Trask or someone else, to complement their excellent squad in order to compete with Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, or whoever’s next NFC South club. As previously stated, the NFC remains a two-team boat race, with Tom Brady serving as captain Buccaneer.
