New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gave fans a reason for cautious optimism with respect to quarterback Cam Newton as he prepares for his second season with the team.
Patriots supporters will recall the team did not sign Newton until July 2020 of last year. The former league MVP did not have a ton of time to get acclimated to a new offensive system before officially lining up under center as Tom Brady's replacement.
However, Newton has a full year with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels under his belt. Belichick said “Super Cam” is in terrific shape and very much advanced as compared to last summer:
“Cam’s way ahead of where he was last year at this time,” Belichick said, via ESPN's Adam Schefter. “There's no question about that.”
The Patriots re-signed Newton earlier this spring, though the deal seemed to leave the door open for a potential replacement to come in and win the starting job.
New England then made a play for the future by selecting former Alabama star quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Jones has impressed Belichick and others with his work ethic in camp, but it seems as though Newton is still the favorite to be the starter when Week 1 rolls around later this fall.
The 32-year-old looked prolific in his first couple games with the Patriots. Newton rushed for four touchdowns in his first two starts and threw for 397 yards in Week 2. However, the rest of the seasons was an up-and-down journey for both Newton and the Patriots as New England missed the playoffs.
The 2020 campaign might not have been the smoothest transition for the Patriots in the post-Brady era. Still, Belichick seems to have full confidence Newton can play winning football especially with him being ahead of where he was last summer.
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