Bucs QB coach details Tom Brady-Bruce Arians power dynamic on offense

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From an outside view, it all makes sense: Tom Brady felt he was marginalized in the New England Patriots' offense, so he finally left after 20 seasons to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose head coach, Bruce Arians, would let him call the shots.

But it's not that cut-and-dry.

After all, the Bucs' offensive players are familiar with a different offense than Brady ran in New England. And with teams unable to meet in person due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's a lot to ask an entire offense to learn a new system over video chat.

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So, how much will Tampa Bay's offense reflect what Brady wants versus what Arians already has installed? Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen actually believes it will lean more toward Arians.

"I think what we’ll see here (in Tampa) is Bruce’s offense with a Brady influence," Christensen told The Athletic's Bob Kravitz. "Bruce wants to keep the offense the same. We did some good things last year. Tom has been terrific as far as saying, ‘Just tell me what you want to do.’ And honestly, there’s a lot of carryover from all these offenses; it’s just what you call certain things.

"We’re looking forward to seeing how he can influence the offense. He’ll make it better. That’s what the great ones do. He’ll have some great ideas so we’re anxious to get his take on things."

Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich recently joked he simply has to "get out the way" to let Brady run the offense. According to Christensen, though, Brady seems eager to learn Tampa Bay's current system rather than impose what he ran in New England.

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"I think we’ll find that Tom wants to be coached on everything," Christensen said. "The average ones think it’s all about the scheme, you just roll the ball out, ‘Hey I know how to take a three-step drop.’

"The great ones don’t think that way, and that’s what differentiates these cats. To me, it’s exciting. I’d be shocked if Brady doesn’t want to be coached all the time."

Perhaps that's the "challenge" Brady said he was embracing upon joining the Bucs back in March. He'll have an old friend learning the ropes alongside him, too, as ex-Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski joins a loaded pass-catching group that includes Pro Bowl wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.

The Bucs likely will tailor their offense around Brady to some extent and give the 42-year-old the resources he needs to succeed (like drafting prospect Tristan Wirfs to reinforce the offensive line). Don't expect to watch a replica of the Patriots' offense in Tampa Bay this season, though.

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