A former Patriots quarterback doesn’t think Cam Newton will take the first play in Week 1 at Gillette Stadium.
In light of the team’s limited off-season activities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the late signing of Newton’s free agency, Scott Zolak believes that head coach Bill Belichick will start the 2019 fourth round of Jarrett Stidham on the 2015 NFL MVP.
“I think Jarrett will be the starter, of the people I’ve spoken to,” Scott Zolak said in “Zolak & Bertrand” on Tuesday. “People I trust, players, people connected to the team, team captains. The way they talk about Jarrett Stidham and the work he’s done.
Zolak, 52, was selected in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft from the University of Maryland. He played for the Patriots for eight seasons, the vast majority of which was spent as backup for the team behind 1993’s No. 1 overall pick, Drew Bledsoe.
If he were healthy, Newton would likely beat 23-year-old Stidham, largely untested in the depth chart. The former winner of the Heisman Trophy and the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has thrown for 29,041 career yards and 182 touchdowns, and has 4,806 rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns. In contrast, Stidham appeared in three games and completed two of four attempts for 14 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception.
However, for Zolak’s point, the 31-year-old faces a significant challenge on the way to replace beloved interlocutor Tom Brady of the Patriots, who joined the Buccaneers this offseason after a historic career of 20 years with the team. In that span, Brady, 42, won six Super Bowl championships, four Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards, and was named to 14 Pro Bowl teams.
“I just don’t know if Cam Newton is going to do this in 35 days and be ready to go unless it’s a completely different offense that is going to work at 40% efficiency,” added Zolak.
Before signing with the Patriots in late June, Newton had spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Panthers. You will have to learn a whole new playbook for the first time and adapt to the Belichick system in an abbreviated timeline.
The often-beaten QB is also recovering from surgery he underwent after suffering an injury from Lisfranc, coincidentally against his new squad, which was enough to deter at least some stakeholders during the free agency reorganization of Quarterback.
Newton remains optimistic that he can improve with Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“I will be the first person to tell you: in these last two years I have not been making the best recorded film. That’s honest, ”he said during a round table on Monday. “Than [Brady] It was, what it is, it’s great. You don’t even need to talk about it. However, there is one thing: Coach McDaniels, you can call some things that you have never been able to call now. “
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