What that means is that it’s only a matter of time before the Patriots become Newton’s team. Most likely, in the next few weeks, before the season opener against Miami.
The Patriots are obviously not Newton’s fault. They brought him to New England on a one-year contract with a minimum base salary ($ 1.05 million) and only $ 550,000 guaranteed. If he does not fit, or plays well, there is no attachment to him. And it is quite possible that Bill Belichick could decide that Newton is not quite ready to start the opener, given no offseason work and a shortened training camp.
But Newton is not an old veteran quarterback. He is a winner of Heisman Trophy, a former no. 1 overall pick, and a previous league MVP. He took a team to the Super Bowl. He is still only 31 years old, and a physical marvel at 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds. He is fashionable, magnetic, and hangs in celebrity circles.
When the three Patriots quarterbacks take the field, Newton is the biggest, worst man out there, and everyone knows it.
“He’s definitely a former MVP for a reason,” Julian Edelman said Friday on WEEI. ‘He is extremely dynamic and he has a charming personality.
‘It has been fun to be. He has a confidence about him – all quarterbacks have a confidence, but it’s just something different with Cam. It’s an atmosphere you can feel and get yourself into a mind-set. It has been nice. ”
Belichick needs to keep up with the pretense of a competition, but everyone knows the deal. The Patriots are not bringing Newton here to make Stidham, a fourth-round pick with four career passes, or Hoyer, a career traveler on his ninth team in 12 years.
And Newton, who spent three months as a free agent before finally agreeing with the Patriots on June 28, will not be coming to New England if he thinks he will have to platoon as a backup.
Newton is here to play.
“You can not take Cam Newton with you and think that your starting quarterback will feel comfortable if you bring in a man who is probably bigger than your quarterback, probably has a better arm, is probably more athletic, and is more likely to give interviews and a dress. better, ‘said Harper, who played for Newton in 2014-15.
“It takes the right type of box and situation to accept a quarterback like Cam Newton. It’s about the right fit, and I think New England is that for him. ”
Belichick has been suspicious of his plans since Newton’s signing. He even gave life a respect in a rumor that he could use a platoon situation, alternating between Newton, Stidham, and even Hoyer based on the situation.
“I always say I will do what I think is best for the team, which gives us the best chance to win,” Belichick said Wednesday.
Sorry, but if you buy that, I have a prime marshland in Florida to sell you.
At the same press conference, Belichick acknowledged that “of course” there should be a point for the September 13 opening when he salutes a starter and gives him the most work in practice. Friday he mentioned that the last 7-10 days of the press season will be focused on preparation for the Dolphins.
“Yes, of course we should not somehow compare the reps – I mean, that’s obvious – but we are not there now,” he said.
And not only have platonic situations proven to fail again and again in the NFL (the old cliché is “if you have two quarterbacks, you really have none”), but Belichick himself learned that lesson in 2001, after Drew Bledsoe returned from injury in ‘ the middle of the season. Belichick split practical reps between Tom Brady and Bledsoe the first week, and the Patriots lost to the Rams.
“I did not think this was Tom’s best game, but in hindsight I watched it and thought it would be difficult for anyone to play well but get half the reps,” Belichick said in December. on an NFL 100 ″ show. “That next week against New Orleans I said, ‘We’ll just go with Tom and he’s going to get all the reps and he’s going to play.’ ”
Of course, why even have a peloton or alternate quarterbacks when a healthy Newton is your best option in any situation? Assuming Newton has recovered from foot and shoulder injury in the last two years, he has the biggest arm, fastest legs, and best skill set of the three.
“When he first came into the league, it was all about, ‘Well, just keep him in the bag, don’t let him use his feet and you can hit him,’ ‘said Harper, who twice a year against Newton when he was with the Saints. ‘You can no longer say the same things.
‘He has an arm and he has worked really hard on it. He is effective within the red zone, where you can simply run a QB force within the 5-yard line. Or at third and 10th, when most teams drop everyone back, and you can run a quarterback draw and get a first down. “
Newton did not exactly run away from the competition the first week of the camp, but Stidham also did nothing to take advantage of the track. He threw multiple interceptions in three straight practices, and reportedly reported a leg injury that kept him out of Friday’s practice and will affect his progress. Hoyer is who he is.
Newton was the murdered favorite the moment he drew in New England. And because Stidham and Hoyer have not been better on campus than Newton, he should be the starter.
You play your most talented quarterback, not necessarily the guy who knows the playbook best.
“I think Cam is humble, I think he’s healthy for the first time, and I think he’s hungry,” Harper said. “And I personally would never doubt someone who is successful at every turn of their life.”
Ben Volin can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin
