Brady back to work
Star QB, Bucs work out together at Tampa’s Berkeley Prep
TAMPA — About 20 minutes after sunrise, just before 7 a.m. Tuesday, the luxury vehicles began rolling past the guarded entrance at Berkeley Preparatory School — a Tesla coupe followed by a Porsche and a Ford truck or two.
On the artificial turf football field, tucked away in a well-secluded enclave of the sprawling campus, Tom Brady and about eight of his Bucs teammates began a two-hour throwing session.
Brady wasn’t the only quarterback. But he was the only player wearing a bright orange practice jersey over shoulder pads with his Buccaneers’ helmet.
Center Ryan Jensen was there to make sure Brady received the shot gun snaps before launching dozens of passes on this humid 77-degree morning.
If you had any doubt that Brady wasn’t going to find a way for such a gathering when players can’t be together at a team practice facility due to NFL rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, think again.
Brady appeared to be the one organizing the route combinations and situational drills that Bucs receivers, tight ends and running backs ran for about 120 minutes Tuesday.
At times, like he did with receiver Mike Evans, Brady would walk through the route, showing players exactly where to make their cuts.
Brady’s arm looked
live and he took advantage of the large collection of pass catchers to also get in some work on deep routes. Among those attending the practice were receiver Scotty Miller, tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard, quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin, and running back Dare Ogunbowale.
After about an hour, the Bucs moved into the red zone area near the end zone on the east side of the practice field.
Then it was time for some coming out passing drills, simulating the offense back up deep in their own territory.
Last month, Brady made headlines when Tampa Mayor Jane Castor revealed that the six-time Super Bowl winner was asked to leave his workout in a closed downtown park by a member of the parks and recreation department.
“But you know our parks are closed down and so a lot of our parks staff, they patrol around just to make sure people aren’t doing contact sports and things and saw an individual working out in one of our downtown parks, Castor said. “And she went over to tell him that it was closed and it was Tom Brady.”
Since signing a two-year, $50 million contract with the Bucs, Brady has been itching to get time on the practice field with his teammates.
The lack of an offseason program and