Among the many things Tom Brady accomplished by reaching the 10th Super Bowl of his career was settling the question of which offseason signing was the best.
Every year, we look back on the previous offseason and, based on the season's results, assess which transactions turned out to be the best and the worst. This year, we have a team that went out and signed a veteran quarterback to replace a guy who threw 30 interceptions the season before and has made it to the Super Bowl almost directly as a result of that one move. I'd say it has to top the list.
But there are other 2020 offseason moves worth revisiting -- good ones, bad ones and sneaky-bargain ones. Here are five of each, starting with the obvious:
Most successful moves of the 2020 offseason
1. Buccaneers sign QB Tom Brady.
Honestly, what more could they have asked from this? The Bucs weren't on many people's lists of obvious Brady destinations when the offseason started, but they pitched him on the idea that they were a team on the cusp -- ready to win if they could get someone like him to bring calm, reliability and a championship mindset into the building.
There were hiccups along the way and times when it looked as if they weren't good enough to get here. But underestimating Brady has been a bad bet for a couple of decades now. Tampa Bay sure is happy it didn't underestimate (a) the impact he would have on its team, or (b) its ability to get him.