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Tom Brady packing his bags to go play for the New England Patriots at the turn of the century was arguably the most underrated moment in NFL history. Little did the world know that the unassuming sixth-round draft pick was bound for the upper echelons of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, what would've happened had the Michigan shot-caller not been drafted by Bill Belichick and the Patriots in that fateful 2000 NFL Draft? It's safe to say that the ensuing 20 years in the league would've looked a lot different.
Tom Brady was the turning point in Bill Belichick's run as the coach in New England. The year Brady was drafted happened to be the first year Belichick had the reins with the Patriots.
He was reeled in on the heels of the team's 8-8 1999 campaign under Pete Carroll. Desperate for improvement, owner Robert Kraft changed direction, aiming to capitalize on Belichick's experience.
However, with quarterback Drew Bledsoe running the seventh-worst offense in the league, New England tumbled to 5-11 in 2000. The pastures weren't green, and a change at quarterback was due.
Bill Belichick misses out on Tom Brady
Bill Belichick and the Patriots passing on Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft isn't a stretch, given Brady's famously poor physical traits coming out of college. Had the Patriots passed on Brady, the quarterback would've likely fallen to the next team looking for a backup quarterback.
In 2000, that team was the Washington Redskins, who looked to add depth behind shot-caller Brad Johnson. So, with the Patriots disregarding Brady in this analysis, it's the unassuming Redskins who bagged the QB 202nd overall in Round 6.
Tom Brady was off to DC to sit third-string behind Johnson and backup Jeff George. That year, no one on the roster wore Brady's No. 10 jersey from college, so he would've probably worn the same number with the Redskins instead of his famous 12.
Beyond the finer details, with Brad Johnson running point, 2000 wasn't a fruitful year for Washington, as they failed to match their 10-6 record from 1999 despite having Hall of Famer Deion Sanders on defense. Coach Norv Turner was fired with three games to spare, and the team went 8-8.
In reality, the man whom the Redskins drafted in 2000, Todd Husak, threw two passes on the year, so it's safe to say that Brady would've seen a similar fate playing third string.
Tom Brady climbs the ranks of a playoff failure
Breaking down what would've become of Tom Brady in Washington from Year 2 onward is difficult, as Todd Husak retired from the NFL after one season. So the best we can do is take Brady's demeanor and merits at face value.
The quarterback thus stays on with the Redskins in '01, again behind backup Jeff George. However, this time, Tony Banks was the starter, as Brad Johnson headed off to the Buccaneers to run Tony Dungy's offense in Tampa.
Meanwhile in DC, backup Jeff George ran his standing in the team into the ground, going 0-2 in two starts. That paved the way for the consistent Tom Brady heading into 2002.
The fireworks shine bright over the circus in Washington
Going 8-8 in 2001, the Redskins were again overhauled going into the 2002 NFL season.
Coach Marty Schottenheimer was sent packing, and Steve Spurrier was given the reins. Spurrier had been honing his craft with the Florida Gators the previous 10 years, cooking up NFL talents like Fred Taylor, Tony George and Doug Johnson.
The quarterback room was also flipped on its head in reality, with Shane Matthews, Patrick Ramsey and Danny Wuerffel being new faces with whom our speculative Tom Brady had to contend with. However, despite the experience of Steve Spurrier, there was no consistency in DC, as the starting job was in reality shared by all the quarterbacks on the roster.
Above all, the 7-9 negativity of '02 meant that Brady finally got a true shot to prove himself. Starting a handful of games just like the rest, Brady went unbeaten. That's based on the fact that Steve Spurrier ran a Spread offense that year, a system Brady and the Patriots won the AFC Championship with in 2011, going 13-3.
Tom Brady takes over
Holding his No.10 jersey high, Tom Brady took over as Redskins starter in 2003. It took him three full years, but the QB roulette of '02 was just what the sixth-round pick needed. Steve Spurrier did stay on for another year, so Brady naturally became his main man for '03.
In reality, Washington stumbled again that year, with Spurrier heading for the door at 5-11. However, with the Brady-Spurrier Spread-scheme duo unlocked, the history pages of the NFL were due to be rewritten.
With Patrick Ramsey, Tim Hasselbeck and Rob Johnson on the roster in '03, they played backup to Brady. Spurrier's charge was led by the fourth-year QB along with Pro Bowlers wideout Laveranues Coles, linebacker LaVar Arrington and Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey. Defensive coordinator George Edwards ran a 4-3 defense, similar to the one Bill Belichick and the Patriots ran with much success that year.
The Redskins bagged a winning season but narrowly missed out on the playoffs, jousting with the Eagles and Cowboys; both of whom secured 10+ wins. Despite the shortfall, though, the pieces were all in place for a magnificent run in 2004.
The delayed moment of NFL glory
In reality, the Patriots triumphed in Super Bowl XXXIX in '04. But without the Brady-Belichick duo here, New England never saw much success since missing out on Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. Belichick dabbled on with quarterback Drew Bledsoe to little success, while Steve Spurrier had a glorious run on the NFL stage in Washington.
For 2004, running back Clinton Portis joined the fold in Spurrier's outfit in reality. While Champ Bailey left, he stays on in this analysis, as the team was in the winning column. No. 10 Tom Brady and the Redskins would go on a glorious run in his second year as the starter, not only making the playoffs but going on to win the Super Bowl.
While a brave claim, this stands in light of how the Patriots won that Super Bowl, but they're a mediocre team in this analysis. Moreover, apart from the stars on both sides of the ball, Washington stuck with their Spread offense and 4-3 defense, the system Tom Brady saw a lot of success in across his career.
Although we won't go as far as speculating how Tom Brady's entire NFL career would've turned out, it's fair to say that he would've had a good run in pro football, given his famous intangibles.
