How Boston sports radio reacted to Tom Brady joining the Buccaneers
Local personalities wondered about Julian Edelman's future, Bill Belichick's legacy, and the quarterback of the Patriots' future.
Tom Brady officially joined the Buccaneers Friday, ending an offseason’s worth of speculation about where he would play the 2020 season (or if he would at all).
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Here’s what Boston sports radio personalities had to say about the news:
When Brady announced his departure
WEEI’s morning host Greg Hill learned on-air Tuesday that Brady’s “football journey will take place elsewhere.”
“I am guessing that you will forever remember where you are at this moment right now,” Hill said before telling listeners the news. “Tom Brady will most likely never play another game in a Patriots uniform.”
“[Coronavirus] can end the 2020 season, because I’m out on the Pats,” said former Patriot Jermaine Wiggins. “[The Patriots] got no contingency plan, the dude can still play, and for whatever reason, you didn’t give him an offer that was even worthy enough for him to even consider.”
When the signing became official
Hill also delivered the news of Brady’s official signing on the air, in the third hour of his Friday show, with a “breaking Brady news” introduction.
“For those of you who have been hanging on by your thumbnails, hoping that there was one last-ditch effort could be made, that’s it. Tom Brady has signed his contract. His social media will show you that. The Stidham era begins. The next era begins. Whatever’s next begins right now.”
On 98.5 The Sports Hub, Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb also delivered the news as it came in on their show. CBS’s Dan Roche, who was a guest on the show to discuss Chris Sale’s injury, stayed on to react, and the trio discussed “where they go from here.”
Should Edelman go, too?
Also on Friday, Toucher and Rich explored the idea of Brady bringing his friends along to Tampa with him – namely, Julian Edelman and Antonio Brown. Toucher believed there was value for the Patriots in trading Julian Edelman to Tampa, or elsewhere.
“You’ve got to think the value of Julian Edelman with Tom Brady obviously is way higher than him going anywhere else,” he said. “You wonder what they would give up for him. If I’m the Patriots, trade that guy. Get Julian Edelman out of here.”
On 98.5 The Sports Hub, Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand also believed that if Edelman were offered the opportunity, he would join his quarterback in Tampa.
How will this affect the team?
On 98.5 The Sports Hub Friday, Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand dissected Brady’s statement as posted on Instagram. Bertrand believed part of it was a shot at Bill Belichick, in reference to the Patriots’ reported lack of action towards their 20-year quarterback.
“Bill Belichick doesn’t believe in Tom Brady,” he said. “He’s done believing in Tom Brady. He’s over Tom Brady. He doesn’t believe Tom Brady is worth two or three years.”
The pair also debated the draw of Patriot football – was it Brady or Belichick? – ultimately settling on it being the 20-year quarterback.
“That goes to the draw of the Patriots as a destination,” Bertrand said. “In the coming years, it’s going to be lessened. It’ll be less than what it’s been for so many years now.”
Who will be the quarterback?
On Thursday, WEEI’s Dale Arnold and Rich Keefe broke down potential options under center for the Patriots moving ahead. First, they broke down ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky’s options, which featured Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton, current backup Jarrett Stidham, Miami’s Josh Rosen, and 2016 backup Jacoby Brissett.
The pair wasn’t sold on any of Orlovsky’s options when it came to finding a player who could slip right into the starting role for years to come.
Keefe proposed Jameis Winston, looking past his interceptions and instead toward his passing game, but Arnold would have selected any of Orlovsky’s top five instead.
“[Winston] was the number one overall pick, he made the Pro Bowl his first year, he had a winning record his second year,” Keefe said. “The whole team [in Tampa] has been a disappointment the last three years, but if you’re just looking at ability, he just turned 26 years old.
“Winston has done it before. He has 70 career starts under his belt. Let’s give him Josh McDaniels, let’s give him Bill Belichick and see what he can do.”
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