Training camp is right around the corner for the NFL. And, although there are a lot of questions about exactly how these practices will work, the players will still have to report by July 28.
After one of the strangest offseasons in the history of the sport, players are expected to be ready to go when that time comes.
In New England, there won’t be a public training camp like fans are accustomed to, but there will still be news that trickles out about what’s going on down in Foxboro.
It would be great to have the team firing on all cylinders and everybody playing at their peak, however, that’s just not possible. These six guys will need to be showing their best in the preseason because they all have something to prove.
Cam Newton
The Patriots brought Cam Newton in on an extremely team-friendly contract just a few weeks ago. From that moment, most fans believed that he became the favorite to be the starting quarterback for New England come the regular season.
Newton arguably has the most doubters of anybody on the Patriots’ roster from a national standpoint. Despite winning an MVP just a few seasons ago, the quarterback was cut after a few injuries that cost him almost all of last season. He was available for months and nobody took a chance on him.
Now, Newton has a chance to prove to everyone that he’s still a top quarterback in this league. That starts in training camp. He needs to take the starting job and run with it.
Jarrett Stidham
Stidham was the presumed starter before Newton was brought in. Now, he’ll have to compete for that job. The former fourth-round pick will be looking to prove to his coach, his teammates and the fans that they were wrong about moving on from him so quickly.
It’s not impossible that Stidham wins the job. However, it does seem unlikely at this point.