Just a few days after the Patriots signed quarterback Cam Newton for a one-year deal, many wonder what will happen to the team this coming season and whether this veteran quarterback can fit into Belichick’s system. With nine years under his belt in the NFL, Newton brings experience and, what some experts believe, a desire to redeem himself.
“The firm’s risk is low and the potential astronomical reward. Doubts feel almost mandatory, “wrote ESPN’s Tim Keown, adding:” If Newton is healthy, he can win, and when you take away all his know-how and veneer from Patriot Way, that’s all that’s left. Winning by any means necessary is the Camino, the only Camino, all of which is to say, no matter what happens from now on, the figures will tell us more about Bill Belichick than Cam Newton ”.
After the terms of his contract were revealed on Thursday, Newton posted on Instagram that “it’s not about money for me, it’s about respect.” It is his attitude, one that has shown defiance in the past, that makes some experts doubt whether he and his antics on the field will fly with Belichick.
Meanwhile, others think Newton won’t start during Week 1 against the Dolphins on September 13, including an AFC head coach, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
“I spoke by text message to an AFC East Head coach at Cam Newton and the Patriots. “I think they will keep 3 QBs. Use Cam Newton maybe as a wild card. In fact, I don’t see him starting Week 1 on the offensive … I know one thing: #Patriots I love Jarrett Stidham “
I spoke by text message to an AFC East Head coach at Cam Newton and the Patriots. “I think they will keep 3 QBs. Use Cam Newton maybe as a wild card. I don’t really see him starting Week 1 on the offensive … I know one thing: the #Patriots love Jarrett Stidham. “
– Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) July 1, 2020
Here’s what other NFL experts say about Newton’s signature:
Adam Schefter, ESPN: “Jarrett Stidham is a boy, again, they have a rookie contract. So, they put all these quarterbacks together, they don’t pay much together, why not take a chance with Cam? I think they see Stidham as part of their future, but now they have Cam on a one-year contract. “
“Cam had no interest elsewhere. That’s why [he’s in New England]. Period.”
Nate Davis, USA Today: “Super Bowl-era dynasties don’t hold up once the quarterback leaves … And then there’s the question of how effectively Newton can subsume his ego in the midst of a culture where the collective triumphs over the individual.
Darrelle Revis, Stephon Gilmore, Corey Dillon, and Randy Moss (for a time) are among those who successfully assimilated into Foxborough. But other previously established stars (Chad Ochocinco, Reggie Wayne, Adalius Thomas, Michael Bennett) did not fit in, some tangled up against culture.
The Panthers revolved largely around Newton for most of his tenure, which sometimes allowed his peccadilloes. It remains to be seen how well a 31-year-old gamer who enjoys attention and social media, descriptors who might also fit in with Brady, mixes with cold turkey and faces the learning curve that exists every time you join. to a new team. “
Jay Glazer, The Athletic: “Newton to the Patriots is just as, um, well, as the Patriots. A low risk contract with a high potential reward if you return to form. How many times have we seen veterans who seemed to be on their last legs go to the Patriots and then shine again? Bill Belichick has rekindled the careers of many and it would not be surprising if he did it again with Newton. “
Michael Felger, 985 Sports Hub: “How about culture? Even something as simple and seemingly innocuous as the cleanup, the Superman, the celebration and the show on the field, they don’t want you to do that here. [in Boston]. Cam Newton has celebrated more than any other player in the league, perhaps in the last decade, something as simple and innocuous as that. “
Shalise Manza Young, Yahoo Sports: “This shouldn’t need to be said, but Newton’s dressing room off the field has no effect on what he does on the field. You may not like its style or want to emulate it, but not all men aspire to appear as basic as a mannequin in JCPenney’s men’s department. The idea of how Newton dresses means that he shouldn’t be on the Patriots list or that he won’t fit in is absurd at best.
The Patriots “culture” is winning and focuses on the steps that must be followed to win. Yes, Belichick does not want players to continue celebrating a Week 4 win on Wednesday when there is a Week 5 game to get ready. But Belichick has no trouble holding touchdowns and big plays. “
Darryl Slater, NJ.com: “Power [Bill Belichick] Win another Super Bowl, and do it without the best quarterback in NFL history? That’s the big question facing Belichick, and Cam Newton, in 2020, when Tom Brady begins the second chapter of his career at Tampa Bay, and Newton seems ready to replace him in New England, at least for this season.
And the answer is a resounding yes. The Patriots absolutely can win the Super Bowl this season with Newton, who is a proven winner with a lot left in the tank, even at 31.
Newton needs to stay healthy, of course, and has been unable to do so recently. But if he stands tall, he and Belichick and the Patriots defense are a formidable combination. “
Oliver Thomas, Forbes Sports: “Newton’s resume encompasses 124 starts, 29,041 passing yards and 4,806 rushing yards. He has thrown 182 touchdowns and 108 interceptions. He himself received 58 additional touchdowns.
Three Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl appearance have been recorded along the way.
A $ 1.1375 million limit with the Patriots will not reflect that. But that number is what an organization that currently has $ 263,489 in space, according to PatsCap’s Miguel Benzan, could achieve without making a corresponding move … Newton has the opportunity to play a much bigger role on the field than in the books “.
