20-21 Bucs Fantasy Projections

The hot topic of the off season thus far is Tom Brady's move from the New England Patriots. Now, while I was extremely hurt by this move (as a proud owner of 2 Tom Brady Jerseys), the move made more than enough sense for Brady. While ego definitely played a role in the move, going from a Patriot offense with Edelman as the only legitimate weapon to a Bucs offense with stud receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans looks like the right move for the aging Brady. Oh, and some other tight end named Rob Gronkowski also decided to come out of retirement for Brady. Here's how I think it will work out for every key player in the offense.

The GOAT made the biggest move of the offseason by moving to Tampa.

QB - Tom Brady

We're at the point where it's basically impossible to deny that Tom Brady is the GOAT. He's near the top of nearly every statistic and is without question the greatest winner the sport has ever seen. That being said, he's going to be 43 years old with an average offensive line at best. There are too many weapons to ignore with superstar receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans (both top-8 receivers in STD) and the return of Gronk. I don't see Brady entering the top tier of quarterbacks, but I think he will be a safe, mid-low end QB1 that can come at a surprising discount.

There's a lot of uncertainty in the Tampa backfield, but a fantasy star can emerge.

RB - Ronald Jones, Peyton Barber, etc.

I put the etc. because nobody knows which guy in this backfield is going to emerge, whether it's a rookie, newly signed guy, or the same guys from last year. It seems like every year, Ronald Jones is poised to run away with the RB1 spot but Payton Barber keeps getting it and performing just average. Even in such an explosive offense last year, neither took control of the job or consistently produced fantasy-relevant numbers. That being said, Tom Brady will need a strong run game and loves to dump the ball off to his backs, so somebody in this backfield will return big time on value as a likely PPR RB2. It's just impossible to predict who.

Temper expectations for the superstar WR duo, but they will still produce big numbers.

WR - Chris Godwin, Mike Evans

Unlike the running backs, we know exactly which receivers are going to perform this year. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans both played tremendously last year. Godwin exploded as the number 2 receiver across the board last year and Evans, while injured some games, mixed in average games with monster ones. While I think the Bucs will have a strong winning season, I think both guys are going to regress slightly solely because of the change in play style. Jameis Winston, who was known to throw deep, 50-50 balls (which contributed heavily to the 5k yards and 30 picks) helped pad both receivers stats. Tom Brady will not make as many mistakes, but won't throw it deep either. I'm not saying either guy will be anything less than a solid WR2, but don't expect too many monster games either. Draft with an expectation of regression.

The GOAT QB to GOAT TE connection may not produce like years past, but it sure will be fun to watch.

TE - Rob Gronkowski, OJ Howard

The greatest QB-TE returns in Tampa Bay as Rob Gronkowski returned from retirement to play with Tom Brady. While Gronk's mega-dominant years were a while ago, He's still a 30 years old freak athlete and with a year off, likely has a rested body. I wouldn't expect another signature 1k yard 10 TD year from Gronk, but I think he can perform as a solid TE1 in a position that has been almost non-existant outside of the top tier in the last few years. However, he's almost guaranteed to be overdrafted by someone who thinks there's a 2011 repeat in store. OJ Howard is a sneaky sleeper if he's not traded and has way more talent than people realize. Considering Gronk's injury history and Brady's love for the tight end position, he's the guy I would target.