Two days after announcing his return to the NFL, Tom Brady will reunite with one of his former teammates in Tampa. The Buccaneers have acquired veteran Patriots guard Shaq Mason in exchange for a fifth-round pick, CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson confirms.
A 2015 fourth-round pick, Mason piled up 111 starts during his seven years in New England. Mason, who saw time at both right and left guard, won two Super Bowls and three AFC titles during his run with New England, which also parted ways this offseason with veteran guard Ted Karras. Karras has reportedly inked a three-year deal with the defending AFC champion Bengals.
Speaking of the Bengals, Cincinnati reportedly signed former Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa to a four-year deal, which contributed to the Buccaneers' acquisition of Mason. Tampa Bay was able to retain center Ryan Jensen, who announced that he was staying in Tampa hours after Brady announced that he was coming back for a 23rd season.
The Buccaneers have been busy during the NFL's two-day legal tampering period. Among their notable moves included the reported signings of former Falcons receiver Russell Gage and the re-signing of cornerback Carlton Davis. Tampa Bay was unable to hold on to safety Jordan Whitehead, who reportedly inked a two-year deal with the Jets.
Here are our grades for each team in this trade.
Buccaneers: B+
In Mason, the Buccaneers are getting a veteran player who has a wealth of experience as it relates to helping protect Brady. The Buccaneers only had to surrender a fifth-round to acquire Mason, who at age 28 should have plenty of quality football left in him.
In appears that Mason is actually getting better with age. Despite blocking for rookie quarterback Mac Jones, Mason received a higher overall grade by Pro Football Focus in 2021 than he did in 2020, when he was football's highest-rated guard.
Patriots: D
New England gets some credit for getting something for Mason, but a fifth-round pick seems extremely low for a player of Mason's stature. This was surely a cost-cutting move for the Pats, who currently have under $8 million in estimated cap space, according to Over the Cap. But trading Mason (who has two years left on a five-year, $45 million deal), the Patriots saved themselves $7.4 million in cap space this year and $8.5 million for the 2022 season. New England will now look to find his replacement.
