Randy Moss: 'How Are They Going to Protect Tom Brady?'

Brady's former teammate is concerned about his protection in Tampa Bay.

It's understandable for people to have high expectations of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the offseason they've had, adding Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski while also retaining the core of their promising roster on both sides of the ball.

It also makes perfect sense to be worried that a 43-year-old quarterback, who isn't known for his mobility, might be in big trouble behind an inconsistent Bucs offensive line.

Randy Moss, a Hall of Fame wide receiver and former teammate of Brady's with the New England Patriots, counts himself among those worried that Brady's lack of adequate protection in Tampa Bay could be a huge problem.

“I’m concerned about Tom’s protection,” Moss said on ESPN. “They were unable to protect Jameis Winston for so long and if you compare quarterbacks, Jameis and Tom are not mobile quarterbacks. So if they couldn’t protect Jameis, how are they going to protect Tom Brady?”

To take Moss' point even further, Winston was actually a good bit more mobile than Brady throughout his career in Tampa Bay, though Brady's ability to negotiate the pocket is among the best in the league. 

Tampa Bay added a blue-chip prospect in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with Iowa right tackle Tristan Wirfs, but the rest of the offensive line returns from last season, and their results were a mixed bag in 2019. 

One thing that should encourage Bucs fans is the fact that throughout his legendary 20-year career with the Pats, Brady proved that getting the ball out quickly was among his best traits, something that Winston struggled with throughout his five seasons in Tampa Bay. 

So, while the offensive line itself should indeed be a concern for Bucs fans, Brady's quick trigger is likely to mitigate a good bit of that risk now that he's the one throwing passes in Tampa Bay.