Buccaneers' Todd Bowles talks positives of not having Tom Brady

Add head coach Todd Bowles to individuals associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mentioning positives for the organization related to the "for good" retirement of legendary quarterback Tom Brady. 

"It allows some guys to free up, especially the younger guys who probably just wanted to run behind the older guys and then not mess up as opposed to just playing the game they know how to play," Bowles said during an NFL Network appearance about what training-camp life has been like for the Buccaneers in a post-Brady world, per the JoeBucsFan website. "They’re saying the right things. They know our expectations are the same, but it’s a little different 'cause it’s not as much fanfare." 

Bowles' comments are hardly new to those who have followed Buccaneers headlines throughout the summer months. 

Linebacker Anthony Nelson noted in July that he and others within the locker room were enjoying the fact that "less buzz" hovered over the team this year as opposed to when Brady took an 11-day break away from the Buccaneers last August for reasons presumably related to his divorce from Gisele Bündchen. 

Additionally, multiple knowledgeable people have hinted that an allegedly "checked out" Brady caused unwanted distractions for the club last fall. 

Tampa Bay players such as cornerback Carlton Davis, left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Mike Evans have openly embraced being viewed as underdogs in the chase for a postseason berth without Brady leading the offense. Bowles seems to want everyone involved to remain under the radar for as long as possible. 

"So you concentrate more on inside the building and you never look at the outside of the building," Bowles continued. "Before, you could look at the outside and you’re on every channel. Now you’re looking at the outside and you’re not on any channel. So It helps from a close-knit standpoint inside the building — that they get closer together." 

Bowles and company reportedly are prepared to go with veteran Baker Mayfield over 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask as Brady's immediate replacement for the Week 1 game at the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 10. 

How Mayfield performs may determine if his new teammates and Tampa Bay fans ultimately miss Brady by Halloween.