Patriot fans are hoping Cam can as the buzz is back
Sunday night New England Patriot fans took the good with the bad.
Either way,a lot of buzz.
The good, in their minds, was the signing of free agent quarterback Cam Newton. Conveniently lost in most thoughts was the bad, the loss of a third round draft pick for a big oopsie on the part of the team’s entertainment division last December.
In the case of Newton, desperation may make strange bedfellows. There’s a lot of buzz because of the name, but is the player the same?
It just doesn’t appear that the Patriots will be getting the same Cam Newton who was the NFL MVP in 2015. What happens typically to physical quarterbacks who take a lot of hits like he has over the years is they decline because the injures mount up. The Panthers certainly determined that, or at least felt he wasn’t worth the some-$21 million he was going to make.
There didn’t seem to be a lot of takers. Newton wanted a job, and the Patriots, not having had the luxury of seeing second year QB Jarrett Stidham out on a field in normal OTAs or a mini camp, need insurance. No losers here.
Who are the winners? That’s the key.
But you have to think the Patriots theoretically would love to see Stidham win the job in training camp – if there is actually a regular training camp in the wake of the pandemic. We’re not convinced of that yet.
Stidham winning the starting job would mean he’s performing well and won’t sit the bench instead of gaining valuable experience if the Patriots truly want him to be the future.
Newton is an even bigger insurance policy than fellow veteran Brian Hoyer, whom we feel was brought in to help further Stidham’s education process. The two got along well in last year’s camp.
Of course, if Newton wins the job, then the Patriots have the luxury of another former MVP, their first QB starter that wasn’t drafted by the team in 426 games. Win-win, right?
The betting buzz is even more amazing. The Patriots odds to win the Super Bowl haven’t gotten all that much better, but there were certainly enough emails on the numbers from the gambling groups.
Maybe Newton has regained his touch. Maybe not. The Patriots felt it was worth a shot, at fairly cheap money (remember, it’s about the incentives).
Meanwhile, the Newton signing certainly – and not coincidentally – took minds off an announcement that came 15 minutes later on the loss of a third round pick and $1.1 million fine by the NFL for the Kraft Productions crew filming the Bengals sideline last December.
It was a ridiculous punishment, but in this case the sins of the past played a part ; the Patriots when it comes to these things have not a single benefit of any doubt. Unfortunately, a mistake not even related to the football operation – c’mon, you think they really needed to tape the Bengals – costs the football operation.
But right now, hardly anyone cares. Cam Newton is a Patriot, and you really can’t find anyone who sees any downside to that. The buzz be with you.
Tom King may be reached at @Telegraph_TomK, or tking@nashuatelegraph.com