Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1569 By any means necessary
Adrian Peterson, Dez-Bryant, Randall-Cobb, Jimmy Graham, Jason-Witten, Kyle Van Neu, Stephen Gerstkowski, Jamal Adams, Carles Campbell, Frank-Gore.

Etc., etc.

These noteworthy names all appeared on the transfer list. They were not just any ordinary players, but players with real talent and ability. Yet, they became names on the trade list in this storm of the arms race sweeping the league, demonstrating the determination of the entire league.

Furthermore, beyond these names, there are many more heavyweights, perhaps not as prominent as Brady and Watt, but still stirring up waves in the league.

Todd Gurley, a running back for the Los Angeles Rams, was the highest-paid running back in the league just two years ago. At that time, he refused to fight for more benefits for running backs alongside LeVion Bell, arrogantly believing that he was a special exception. However, he was waived this offseason and transferred to the Atlanta Falcons.

Emmanuel Sanchez, a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, had an outstanding performance at the Super Bowl earlier this year and shone again under Shanahan, but still failed to earn himself a contract. He was transferred to the New Orleans Saints in the offseason and is about to become Brees' passing target.

Nick Fowles, the Philadelphia Eagles' "Saint Nick" at Super Bowl L52, has packed his bags again for the Chicago Bears after just one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. There, he will try to find a real career under head coach Nagy.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, with players coming and going, no one is exempt from the pursuit of profit, and the entire league is running at high speed.

however!
Despite facing invisible barriers in this storm, the Tampa Bay pirates still demonstrated their determination and methods, proving their unwavering resolve.

Antonio Brown was notorious after a series of scandals and turmoil with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots last season. No one was willing to give this exceptionally talented super wide receiver another chance, until Brady extended an olive branch.

When Brown confirmed his signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the league was abuzz with excitement: Brady truly lived up to his reputation as a disciple of Belichick, willing to do anything to win. Even with Brown embroiled in scandal, Brady dared to defy public opinion and recruit him, all for the sake of making a run for the Super Bowl.

According to experts, Brady's biggest complaint during his last two years with the New England Patriots was that Billychick neglected the offensive unit, selling off his well-coordinated wide receivers one after another. Any slight dip in form or fluctuation in ability could lead to a trade, forcing Brady to repeatedly rebuild his wide receiver synergy with his teammates.

The problem is that Brady is not Manning; he needs a high-caliber wide receiver to receive him. He needs wide receivers to earn more yards on their own, which has led to a sharp decline in Brady's output over the past two seasons, and he is even facing the desperate situation of having no one available.

Therefore, the first promise Brady made after joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was to build a talented receiving team.

Besides Tampa Bay Buccaneers' own top wide receiver Evans, Brady brought back the retired Gronkowski to the professional arena and then recruited the infamous Brown, creating a golden receiving lineup with sky-high caliber on paper, which is truly terrifying.

And this is still not the end.

Brady needs a running back, a strong running back, a running back who can share the pressure and open up the game in half-court offense.

This time, Brady set his sights on Levi—

After all, who can ignore Li Wei?
Precisely because Levi is an enemy and an opponent, Brady needs to take Levi's abilities seriously, as this is the only correct way to defeat him.

However, it wasn't Li Wei himself, but rather the "Big Three" of the 2016 NCAA season—three players who could be compared to Li Wei and stand shoulder to shoulder with him:

Leonard Fournett and Christian McCaffrey.

Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers, undergoing a complete rebuild, refused to give up entirely, and McCaffrey was considered untouchable, with no talk of it whatsoever. The Tampa Bay pirates made several unsuccessful attempts to acquire him, but the Carolina Panthers showed decisiveness, negotiating with McCaffrey, who would be a senior in his final year, a year ahead of schedule, securing him a four-year, $64 million contract.

Although his annual salary of $16 million did not surpass that of Levy, the running back market, while slightly warming up, ultimately failed to completely break the shackles; McCaffrey still demonstrated his versatility and talent, and he and Levy became the league's twin stars at running back.

Therefore, the Tampa Bay pirates shifted their target to Fornet.

Once upon a time, Fournet firmly believed he was the best running back in the 2016 NCAA. Being selected fourth overall in the draft, right after Reeves, was less of an affirmation and more of a humiliation. Fournet had been honing his skills, trying to prove himself on the professional stage ever since.

He is a better running back than Levi; he is the running back who can revolutionize the league and achieve great things. Those honors should belong to him.

result?

Not to mention Levi, who won three consecutive Super Bowls, even McCaffrey has completely overtaken him, while Fournet is still clumsily standing still.

Now, everyone in the league knows Levi and McCaffrey, but nobody remembers Fournett, one of the three driving forces.

Clearly, the Jacksonville jaguar is the same—

The Jacksonville Jaguars declined to exercise Fournett's fourth-year contract option and announced his release after failing to secure a trade.

Fournett became unemployed overnight, his situation even more difficult than Newton's. After all, quarterbacks still have some market value; but running backs?

It's a job that relies on youth; once you lose your job, returning to the league is incredibly difficult.

In the past two years, from Levy to McCaffrey, from Henry to Barkley, running backs have seen a surge in popularity. This position, which was once ignored, despised, and even abandoned by the entire league, has regained its glory. The feat of winning the regular season MVP award consecutively is, in some ways, more impactful than winning the Super Bowl three times in a row.

After all, the Super Bowl is the jewel in the crown, but the regular season is the foundation of everything.

Everyone is marveling at how running backs have regained their place. From the Kansas City Chiefs' cheating Motion to the San Francisco 49ers' modern outside offense, everything is giving running backs more value. Their value will continue to rise, and they may even be ushering in a new era.

However, it was all an illusion—

McCaffrey's contract ultimately failed to surpass Levi's, and Fornet was laid off outright, swept into the trash heap in disgrace.

This was something Fornet never expected; all his former ambitions vanished, and worse, nobody even cared.

No one cares.

(End of this chapter)