The New England Patriots’ first true quarterback competition in nearly 30 years is about to begin in earnest.
If unforeseen delays rule out, the Patriots will practice their first (non-padded) training camp this Wednesday, allowing Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer to fit into a full-team lineup for the first time. Padded practices begin next Monday.
Head coach Bill Belichick, attacking coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch have all said the job is not just handed over to Newton, the former NFL MVP who signed with New England last month. To secure Tom Brady’s old starting point, Newton will first have to defeat Stidham and Hoyer in what will be the most fascinating Patriots roster camp in recent memory.
Here’s how the three QBs approach that league:
CAM NEWTON
As long as Newton is healthy, this job is soene be his to lose.
The former Carolina Panthers star was recently seen in 2018 as a top-tier quarterback before suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries (shoulder, then foot), and his raging ability would open up a world of playing career opportunities for McDaniels . (Newton’s 58 career rushing touchdowns are the most ever by an NFL QB.)
However, learning the Patriots’ notoriously complex playbook in such a short period of time will not be easy, and Newton will have to do so without the benefit of pre-season games.
This is the 31-year-old’s first real quarterback league since college. Newton was a direct start for Carolina after he was first drafted general in 2011 and held that position until the Panthers released him this spring.
“Well, as far as (competing) you compete every year,” Newton said last Friday in a video call with reporters. ‘Does not matter how much a person has paid, does not matter how much a person is experienced, does not matter how much a person knows or does not know. I think we all compete every day. I attended every day.
‘It did not matter what the team was, because at the end of the day you are one game away, as I learned this past year. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of proving your worth and doing your part. ”
Newton called the challenge of replacing Brady, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, “a breath of fresh air.” He earlier referred to the spectacle of Brady’s departure as’ the elephant in the room. ‘
“It’s a challenge I had to accept every day, but no challenge will ever be greater than the personal challenge I face, personally,” Newton said. ‘Yes, we all know what that was and what it is, and it does not need to be reported. But still I think at the same time I have my hands full trying to learn as much as possible in as much period of time, and that is what I am trying to do. ”
Since signing in early July, Newton has held private throwing sessions involving almost every receiver of the Patriots, including Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, N’Keal Harry, Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski. Rookie tight end Devin Asiasi also picked up passes from Newton during a training session at UCLA.
Healthy-wise, Newton said he feels ‘great’ and ‘full-go’, although he noted he still has more than a month to go before the season starts. He was not placed on the physical inability to perform at the start of camp, which was a positive first step. If he can stay on the field and rediscover his 2018 form, his one-year contract ($ 550,000 guaranteed, max. $ 7.5 million) would seem like an unbelievable bargain.
JARRETT STIDHAM
Newton’s arrival must have stunned Stidham, who looked like the chance at the favorite to start for much of the offseason. The concept pickup of the fourth round of 2019 insists he is ‘actually really excited’ to compete with Newton, saying he is ‘absolutely’ ready to start.
“I think I’m definitely ready,” Stidham said. ‘I’ve been doing a lot of work this offseason to really improve the mentality, physically, in a lot of different areas. At the end of the day, I’m extremely excited to compete with Cam and Hoy as we move forward in training camp and get to the season and things like that. I’m really looking forward to the competition. I love competing in what it is. I’m really looking forward to it. “
Fourth round picks rarely provide quality novice QBs, but Stidham showed legit potential last summer – he knocked Hoyer out for the top-back job behind Brady – and now has a full year of experience in the New England system. He is yet to be challenged in a meaningful game, as his three appearances in the regular season as a rookie all came in waste time.
“I feel much more confident to have a year under my belt, a year in the system,” Stidham said. ‘Just kind of be more professional in general and understand how we do things here in the organization. I have been approaching all the time for the offseason. My great thing is that I want to continue to be a leader in this team and be the best teammate I can be for the guys in the wardrobe. ‘
Stidham showed that leadership by organizing throwing sessions with patients for Patriots during the jump to training camp. The 24-year-old radiated confidence during his video call with reporters and seems unreasonable by replacing the pressure from potential Brady.
“I consider Tom a really good friend at this point,” Stidham said. ‘Of course, I had to learn a ton from him last year through the whole year … There was a lot to take in to be around him every day. I do not really see it as a replacement for Tom Brady. I just want to be myself and I want to be a leader for this team and be the best teammate I can be for this team. I do not really see it that way. ”
BRIAN HOYER
Hoyer is in his third stint with the Patriots, after joining in March after being cut short by the Indianapolis Colts. His chances of opening the season as a starter are the longest, but he said that does not affect his approach to training camp.
“For me, you still compete every day when you go out,” Hoyer said. ‘No matter what the location, it’s always a competition. Bill said that several times – you will deserve what you get. For me, it does not matter if there are 15 boys in the room. I always compete. When Tom was here, I always competed for the starting job, too. Now I would probably never get that, but I always competed like I would try to knock him out. That was the only thing I could do to make myself better.
‘I think the more good players you have in a room, a group, offense, defense, team, it will always raise the level of everyone else. It’s something I’ve been through before, and I’m looking forward to it. ‘
Hoyer, one of his fellow contestants, is his wealth of experience in McDaniels’ Patriots offense. This will be his seventh training camp with New England, compared to Stidham’s second and Newton’s first.
Hoyer, who has spent time with eight NFL franchises, is also no stranger to QB leagues.
“I dealt with this in Cleveland,” the 34-year-old said. ‘I did it in Houston. I have done it in many different places. For me, I never really changed my mentality. For me, it’s about going out every day and getting better. If you do not do this, you will become less. I know that’s a cliché to say. Whether this is my 12th year, fifth year, seventh year, whatever it may be, you need to come in and participate as you will for that job, whether you will get it or not.
‘That’s the only way to prepare yourself in case you get to a point where you have to play. The reality of our job is whether you are the starting quarterback, backup, third (string), you never know. Things can change on a weekly basis, and you need to be ready to go. I’m always up for it, and I’m always excited to go out and play. ”
Hoyer has started 38 career games for six teams, including three starting Week 1 (for Cleveland in 2014, Houston in 2015 and San Francisco in 2017).
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