If Cam Newton is to succeed Tom Brady as starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, he will have to win the job on training ground. Bill Belichick stopped decisively before naming Newton QB1 of the team.
“That place is the same as all the other places on the team. We have a long way to go. We will see how things are going,” Belichick said Friday in his first public comments since Newton signed with the team. “I can’t control how the players perform; that depends on them. We will give everyone a chance and see what happens. I don’t know.”
Belichick has been consistent with that kind of approach in his 20 seasons as the Patriots coach, though there was no question who would start as a quarterback once Brady took first place in 2001, helping the franchise to its first of six. Super Bowl championships.
Brady’s departure as a free agent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March has created a huge void that Newton, based on his resume, is the top candidate to fill after agreeing to a one-year contract with the club in late June.
“We spend a lot of time with Cam, [had] a number of different people and a number of different conversations, just trying to see what the fit would be like. It was very positive of us. I’m glad it worked, “Belichick said.
Newton’s main competition will be 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham, a fellow Auburn alumnus. Brian Hoyer, an 11-year veteran, is also on the depth chart alongside Michigan state undrafted free agent Brian Lewerke.
Stidham served as the Patriots’ best backup last year, and helped organize pitching sessions with receivers in the Boston suburbs for several months in the offseason. Once Newton officially joined the Patriots, he connected with some of the team’s pass recipients in Los Angeles over the past month, such as Julian Edelman and the first-round pick of the 2019 draft, N’Keal Harry.
But Newton has to bounce back after missing the team’s virtual offseason program during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The meetings were beneficial for all of us, for the players and for the staff, putting things together. I felt we did what we could do. We took great advantage of the opportunities we had,” Belichick said. recognizing that they were different from being able to practice in the field.
As for how the Patriots will build a playbook without naming a starting quarterback, Belichick said it will be the same as it has been for the first 20 years of his tenure.
“You establish a general structure that you implement. Everyone needs to learn certain fundamentals and certain basic concepts. Every player, no matter how long they’ve played, whether it’s two or 20 years, there is still a basic progression to training camp.” in that player’s position, “Belichick said.” That’s where we’re going to start. That, in my opinion, is the right thing to do, regardless of who the player is or what position he plays …
“I don’t think you start out in training camp with your soccer team putting in a triple reverse or double reverse pass, or things like that that could stand out a particular player. Those are the things that come down the road a little bit.” .
While the Patriots’ plans to replace Brady will be closely watched, so will how the team adjusts for six NFL players to make it through the 2020 season, a group led by linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and right tackle Marcus Cannon.
Asked about his reaction to the exclusion options, Belichick said: “I respect all of them. I talked to those guys and they explained their situation to them. They had to make the decision that was best for them and I fully respect and support them.”
Belichick added that he was not sure if there would be more players who could decide not to participate in the season.
“Everyone has to make their own individual decisions about it. They have to weigh their own situation,” he said. “Each of us is unique and we all have different lives, situations, families, environments, etc.”
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