Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially said his good-byes to the New England Patriots on Tuesday, as he reportedly prepares to finish out his career in the NFC. Specifically, the NFC South.
According to Colin Cowherd, Brady will formally announce that he is signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.
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Says Cowherd:
"I was told 35 minutes ago that Tom Brady signs tomorrow with Tampa Bay. He had made a decision and talked to Tampa Bay yesterday. He was willing to re-sign with New England but he watched Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins go to other franchises and then called Robert Kraft an hour and a half later and says ‘I’M OUT’… I am told Tampa is the choice and he will sign tomorrow... This is not a 'football source', it is a ‘Icon source', and somebody in Tom’s stratosphere that knows Tom, and who is a famous person. He says Tampa."
Assuming Cowherd's sources aren't just bullshitting him, Brady will no longer have to worry about a lack of talent at the wide receiver position. The Bucs boast one of the league's best one-two combinations in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both of whom earned Pro Bowl honors a season ago. Godwin, who appeared in 14 games, ranked third in receiving yards (1,333) to go along with nine touchdown receptions, while Evans racked up 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 appearances.
Brady, who will turn 43 before the start of next season, spent his first 20 seasons with the Pats. During that time he led the team to 17 AFC East titles and nine Super Bowl appearances, six of which were won by New England.
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Philip Rivers’ Rumored Free Agency Decision Revealed
NFL insider reports that Philip Rivers' free agency decision has been made: the deal is "all but done."
Long time Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is reportedly taking his talents to the AFC South, following his 16-year run on the West Coast. According to NFL insider Matt Miller, a source close to the situation claims that Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts is "all but done."
During an interview with CBS Sports last month, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon explained why he felt the Colts, a team with a top tier offensive line, are the best fit for Rivers.
"I think he'll go to the Colts. I don't know, that's just my thought. He has Nick (Sirianni) there, the (OC), he came from here. They run the same playbook, so it'd be easy, he could come right in....That's probably the best fit."
Nick Sirianni, who spent five seasons alongside Rivers as a member of the Chargers, is the current offensive coordinator for the Colts. Furthermore, Rivers has some familiarity with Colts head coach Frank Reich as well. Reich spent three seasons with the Chargers from 2013-2015, including a season as a quarterback coach and two as the offensive coordinator.
Rivers, 38, ranked fourth in the NFL in passing yards last season with 4,615 but he also threw 20 interceptions to his 23 touchdowns, as the Chargers finished the year with a 5-11 record. The Colts, meanwhile, finished 7-8 with Jacoby Brissett under center, following the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck.
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Cleveland Browns Add Another Pro Bowl Offensive Weapon
Cleveland Browns agree to four-year deal with Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper, making him the league's highest paid TE.
The Cleveland Browns have reportedly reached a deal with former Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper, giving quarterback Baker Mayfield yet another weapon on the offensive side of the ball.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Browns are prepared to make Hooper the highest paid tight end in the league as part of a four-year deal that includes $23M guaranteed over the first two seasons. All in, Hooper stands to make approximately $11M annually.
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Hooper, 25, had a breakout season last year as he racked 75 catches for 787 receiving yards and six touchdowns - all of which were career highs - in 13 games. The Pro Bowl tight end will now join a Cleveland Browns offense that already includes Pro Bowl wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, as well as star running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and fellow tight end David Njoku.
Despite the wealth of talent on offense, Baker Mayfield and the Browns struggled mightily last season, finishing the year with a 6-10 record. As a result, Cleveland owns the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and all signs point to them using that selection on one of the highly touted offensive linemen in this year's class.
Jameis Winston “Likely” To Leave Tampa Bay Bucs: Report
Report suggests that it's very likely Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston finds a new home in 2020.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is reportedly prepared to leave the team once NFL free agency opens on March 18th. According to NBC Sports' Peter King, Winston will "likely" leave Tampa ahead of the 2020 NFL season, though King doubts that the FSU product will be able to find a starting role elsewhere.
Winston, 26, led the league with 5,109 passing yards last season and finished second in passing touchdowns (33), trailing only NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who tossed 36 TDs. Of course, Winston also threw an NFL-high 30 interceptions, becoming the first player in league history to throw 30 TDs and 30 picks in the same season.
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The Jameis Winston experience is an absolute roller coaster, as Bucs fans (and fantasy football owners) know all too well. Assuming he does leave Tampa, the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, it'll be interesting to see which team takes a gamble on him. That said, King notes that there aren't really any options for Winston to step in and be a starter, so he anticipates the turnover-prone QB to be a backup if he does indeed leave Tampa.
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians offered the following about the team's plans for free agency.
"We have a plan, we're just not telling anybody...we know what we're gonna do. We still just gotta see who else is available," Arians said Tuesday on NFL Network. "Because you have to do your due diligence. You don't really know who is available until the tags come out and all that stuff, if there is a guy really on the market."
