Tom Brady is a Buccaneer! Should the NFL be on notice of the pewter and red?

The National Football League has seen a major free agent domino fall. Tom Brady, now formerly of the New England Patriots, has found his new team.

A March 18 news confirmed the six-time Super Bowl champ will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season (assuming the Coronavirus allows for the season).

This move adds to the excitment level growing in the Bay. A new, Hall of Fame level QB and new uniforms (that will look more like the Super Bowl winning team) all feels like a fresh start.

CBS Sports writer John Breech penned a strong case of the positives of why Brady should go to Tampa, which you can read here.

In short: lots of salary cap space, weapons at wide out and tight end, a coach looking to win now and a front office needing a face to put on the franchise that can sell merchandise without much effort.

I'd add in Brady gives some stability to a position that has been mediocre at worst and inconsistent at best since, well, its inception in 1976.

Yes, Vinny Testeverde was pretty good in the late 80s and early 90s, but you also had Trent Dilfer, who was a game-manager before Brad Johnson came in to pilot a Super Bowl win. But that Super Bowl was won by the defense, and Johnson not losing games.

Since Johnson's tenure, there have been 13 different starters since 2005. Admittedly not as bad as the Cleveland Browns, but that is akin to comparing an overcooked steak at your local buffet to the content of the dumpster behind said restaraunt.

Jeff Garcia was decent before the flop of Josh Freeman.

Current starter Jameis Winston has, on paper, been fine. He is the franchise career passing leader and touchdown leader, but his off field antics and inability to not throw interceptions have made his tenure average at best.

So as a Bucs fan, I'm excited of the prospect of safe, consistent play Brady brings.

But should the league be put on notice?

In short, probably not. I'm an optimistic fan at heart, but I'm not reserving my tickets for the Super Bowl.

One reason: Tom Brady is 42 years old. His best playing days have been behind him. While his yardage has held steady in the 4,000-yard range, his touchdown production has been on a steady decline since popping 50 in 2007.

You could argue he is coming off his least productive full-season with a low in touchdowns and a slight rise in interceptions.

Still, I would argue taking Brady on what is likely the final handful of seasons (and a handful is being generous) is better than what you were getting from Winston, or the slew of other QBs used in the last 15 years.

There are still issues around Brady on the offense. While the prospects of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans give two solid options at wide out and OJ Howard is an undervalued safety valve at tight end, there are issue at tailback.

Niether Ronald Jones or Peyton Barber are feature guys. But Brady has been accustomed to not having an elite back consistently in New England. I'd prefer going to get a back in round two of the draft.

Surprisingly, offensive line play was pretty good last year, despite giving up nearly 50 sacks.

LINK: Offensive line rankings for 2019

The offense will have to be adjusted of course. Brady does not have the mobility or armstrength that Winston does, so expect a lot more short passes and quick-hit routes, which means the run game has to improve.

Frankly it is the defense that needs to improve the most, though.

Tampa ranked in the bottom 12 of pass defense and was 25th out of 32 in total defense.

The smart move, with whatever cap space is left, would be to get some secondary help, especially at corner.

Also key is drafting a quarterback, and then give them time to learn maybe two years under Brady.

To summaize. Brady going to Tampa is a short-term fix for a long-term issue that has plagued the franchise since its creation. Maybe this time they will get the heir apparent part right.