AFC East gets more interesting as Tom Brady leaves the Patriots
By Brian Miller
The AFC East just got a lot more interesting and the Patriots have a quarterback problem. Tom Brady is leaving New England for Tampa Bay.
While it is not 100% official, it is being reported that Miami Dolphins’ bitter rival, Tom Brady is leaving New England and taking what sounds like a $30 million a year deal with the Buccaneers. And of course, TB fans are calling the Buccaneers the favorites to go to the Super Bowl.
Brady has led the Patriots to 20 years of dominance over the AFC East and now the question becomes who will step up to replace the Patriots as the top team in the division? Or will the Patriots simply readjust on the fly and continue their tight grip over the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins?
This is the big question everyone wants to know. Who was responsible for the dynasty, Brady or Bill Belichick? With Brady gone there is a shake-up in the AFC East and for that matter the AFC in general. Brady going to the NFC will make that an interesting conference as well.
The NFC is now stacked with Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and Russell Wilson. Brady will now face two of them, Brees and Ryan twice a year.
With Brady now moving on attention will turn back to New England and Belichick. The Patriots don’t have a starting QB unless Belichick believes that Jarrett Stidham is ready for the job. New England hasn’t been linked to any QB’s thus far in free agency but Belichick rarely jumps into the fray this early in the process.
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It is likely that New England now becomes a big player for one in the NFL Draft next month.
For the Dolphins, not much changes. Miami has owned Tom Brady much of his career in Miami and last year the Dolphins handed him a defeat at Foxboro in what is now his last regular-season home game. A week later, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill knocked him out of the playoffs when the Titans beat New England in Foxboro.
The Dolphins still have to develop their roster and they still need to fit in pieces to that roster. Regardless, if Tom Brady really is the best ever, he is one less person Miami has to worry about in the division. If he is not that good, then Belichick is the one Miami will have to deal with.