Veteran quarterback Tom Brady played for a particular system during his 20-year stay with the New England Patriots. The system under head coach Bill Belichick allowed Brady to carry the Patriots to six Super Bowl trophies in nine appearances. After signing a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 43-year-old Brady is hard-pressed to learn the system being implemented by Bruce Arians. While Brady has shown his brilliance during training camp, he has yet to fully learn the team’s offensive system. To help Brady get up to speed, the Buccaneers have a virtual reality system called used STRIVR Virtual Reality Training that Arians put in place when he was hired as head coach.
Arians said he has used the system since his coaching days with the Arizona Cardinals to acclimatize his players to the system, particularly the quarterbacks.
Brady falls in love with VR system
Usually used by backup quarterbacks to get live reps, the virtual reality system is used to review every snap in practice that was filmed by the team. “All our backup quarterbacks get really live reps — it’s our actual practice that goes on, on the tape," Arians said, per a report by Dave Green of NBC Sports. According to Arians, Brady immediately fell in love with the system and embraced its use. The veteran head coach said backups Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin liked it last season as it provided them with good reps while sitting behind then-starter Jameis Winston.
“It’s good reps for them, but Tom is falling in love with it, too,” said Arians, who said Brady never had it.
Report details Brady-Belichick rift in 2018
In 2018, Brady came close to leaving the Patriots following their surprise loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, according to a new book by Jeff Benedict entitled "The Dynasty.” Per a report by Tom E.
Curran of NBC Sports, excerpts from the book, said Brady told team owner Robert Kraft that he wanted to leave the team after his rift with Belichick came to a head. Initially, Kraft allowed Brady to leave the team, but the move was averted following a series of meetings. Even Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, aired her displeasure over Belichick’s treatment of Brady despite his success with the team.
It was history as Brady remained with the team and led the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl title the following season. The book also earlier revealed that Kraft sent Brady a text message following their meeting in March and thanked him for being "so classy in everything."
Fournette still available
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a shocking move when it released star running back Leonard Fournette on Monday after just three years with the team. Fournette, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, recorded two 1,000-yard seasons in his three years with the squad. According to BetOnline, the Patriots and the Chicago Bears are favorites to land Fournette, who is owed a cap hit of $4.17 million in the final year of his rookie deal.
The Bears and the Patriots have 11/4 odds to land Fournette followed by the Buccaneers (7/2), Washington Football Team (4/1) and Houston Texans (8/1). The Patriots have enough salary cap room to accommodate Fournette, but they are 23rd on the waiver wire list, making it impossible for them to get the rusher. Also, the Patriots are loaded at running back with Sony Michel, Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, and James White on their depth chart.
